Word to the Wise
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - Thursday in the 23th Week in Ordinary Time
[Col 3:12-17 and Luke 6:27-38]Put on, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.... [Colossians] To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you....Do to others as you would have them do to you. [Luke]
Both scriptures assigned for today's celebration of the Eucharist deal with fundamental Christian attitudes and behavior. It is very easy to say that what is found here is the Christian ideal, but the reality is very different, and then "settle for less." It is easier to live with sacraments, dogmas, doctrines and devotions than to love one's enemies and do good to those who hate us. If we take those attitudes, we are undermining the foundation of Christianity.
One might borrow a line from a famous politician, Tip O'Neil, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, who said, "All politics is local!" Well, all Christianity is "local," too! The truth of our faith in the Incarnation of God as Jesus Christ is that he became human and what he taught is very much within the ability of humans to do. We are challenged to "incarnate" Jesus' teachings in flesh and blood behavior! That means an everyday way of living with other humans. The appalling scandal of divisions in Christianity and the violent wars and conflicts around the planet are all around us. The individualism of our culture seeps into our everyday lives from road rage to personality differences. Can we read the scriptures and look at the crucifix and say, "Nice try, but humanity is hopeless?"
The challenges from the Letter to the Colossians and St. Luke's version of the Sermon on the Mount are there to be met every day where we live, and work and try to love God and neighbor. We can't have one without the other. AMEN