Word to the Wise
Sunday, March 1, 2009 - First Sunday in Lent
[Genesis 9:8-15; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:12-15]This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.
This weekend I am beginning a parish mission (retreat) at a church in a nearby city. The theme of the parish mission is the same as those three lines in today's gospel scripture that sum up all of Jesus' preaching. This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. I think I can get the congregation to say those three lines with me out loud. I'm not so sure I can get them to turn and face each other, look one another in the eye, and say the same words! Perhaps by the end of the retreat they might, but...... This is a typical busy parish. These good folks are no different from you and me. So, the question is not whether THEY can say those words to one another. The question is whether ANY of us can do so! Do we need forty days in the desert to get ready? Jesus' message is a message for all peoples and all seasons. However, in Lent, the penitential demands of discipleship come to the fore and we are confronted with them. For some it will mean only "giving up" something, or "doing something extra" and it will all be over in a few weeks. It doesn't have to be public. In fact, Jesus' warns about public penance that is designed to attract attention. It is another thing altogether to share one's faith with another person. We are told that Jesus undertook a forty day ordeal before HE went out and preached! (Lord knows, I was in the seminary for seven YEARS.) Are we ever going to be "ready" to say that three line message? Probably not in our own estimation, but the future of Christianity depends on the everyday ordinary Christian saying those words to him-/herself personally and then to others, without being fearful of the response! Some years ago there was a popular craze amongst Christian youth to wear a bracelet, or T-shirt, or necklace with the letters WWJD (What would Jesus do?) on it. Today's gospel gives us a simple three line message to share. It is what Jesus did and can do through us. AMEN