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What Have You Come Out to
See? |
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Jesus asked a crowd, “What have you come out to see?” He asks us the same question. Our reflective response can help satisfy our spiritual hunger. What Have You Come Out to See? Considering the many Sundays on which you come to church, have you ever wondered why you are here? To paraphrase the words of Jesus from today’s gospel reading, “What have we come out to see?” The answers, of course, are not going to be the same for all of us. We do not all have the same understanding or expectations of God. Even those who belong to the same religion often seek different things from it. And most likely the answer to why we are here or what we are seeking is going to change for each of us as our perceived needs change and as we grow on our spiritual journey. And yet, as unique as each of us is, if we can get to rock bottom, if we can get to that for which we all hunger, what we have come out to see is probably not that different from what prompted the people in today’s gospel reading to traipse out into the desert to see. They were looking for the face of God, even if they were unable to name their hunger. Comfort food and more Sometimes the reasons that we think prompt us to do something are only surface reasons. For example, we may think that we eat simply because we are hungry or because we like the taste of a particular food. One national restaurant chain, however, most often found near freeways where people are on the move, understands that there is more to eating than hunger and taste. Their billboards advertise “Comfort Food.” That suggests eating for more than just to satisfy hunger. Likewise, most of us have found ourselves on occasion eating when we are not hungry but perhaps are bored, nervous or stressed. We eat for relief. But opening the refrigerator door, munching on a bag of Fritos or even sitting down to a meal are not the only things we may do for reasons not acknowledged. Sometimes, we are even motivated to do religious things for not so obvious reasons. Some people take part in a variety of religious practices because it feels good. Some do so out of obligation or fear (fear that God will record them on a divine hit list!). Still others believe that their piety will influence God to love them more (which, of course, is a waste of energy when we remember that God already loves us more than we can imagine). And yet underlying all of these reasons is one basic human hunger, one that even some scientists write about. They refer to a “God gene” that causes us to crave for a connection with God. While some of these surface reasons for our religious practices may serve as spiritual training wheels, they may also satisfy us just enough that we never really put out the effort to learn to ride the spiritual bike. And so, we may never come to what will satisfy us for the long road. Moving in an instant-gratification mode, it may not occur to us to go for what we really need, and thus we fail to experience it. Spiritual dehydration Religious practices, public or private, can serve as a doorway and even a necessary part of our spiritual quest to connect with God. However, it is quite possible to mistake the faithful application of such religious practices for the spiritual fulfillment we all seek, a mistake that will inevitably leave us hungry, even though we may not be able to identify our feelings as spiritual hunger. Regarding religious practices, we should recall what God said to the people of Israel centuries ago. At the time, they were relying on religious practice alone for spiritual fulfillment, and God said, “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.”1 Doctors tell us that it is possible for people who do not feel well to be dehydrated even to the point of danger and not even know it. Likewise we may continue to thirst for our God connection while not being aware of the source of our discomfort. A God relationship, just like a marriage or any other relationship that is going to nourish and satisfy us, must continually be tended. So what are some of the ways we can satisfy our hunger and our thirst for a deeper awareness and appreciation of our God connection? Listening with the heart We might do well to begin with a reflection on the last thing we heard Jesus say in the gospel reading today. He reminds us that even the least in the kingdom of heaven is as great as John the Baptist. What if we could truly understand and believe in the depth of our hearts that in the eyes, heart and mind of God, we are on a par with John the Baptist? If we were to take time with the scriptures and listen quietly with our hearts to this and other things that Jesus has to say, we might be surprised at how it would satisfy our spiritual hunger. Start with the question Jesus put to the crowd — “What did you come out to see?” — but instead of hearing him speak to those long-ago people in that faraway place, however, allow him to sit with you in whatever environment you choose and ask it of you. Listen to him ask you what you have come out to see, and then attempt to answer him. Let the conversation between you continue and see where he takes you. This may seem awkward at first. Such intimate conversation does not come easily for everyone. However, you may have already experienced in other relationships the rewards of moving through such discomfort. It may be that we are too shy with our prayer. We do not hesitate to ask for the healing of a loved one. Asking for a job to support our family may seem reasonable and natural. We might even ask for good weather for a golf game or a picnic. We teach our children to ask for what they need and, at times, even for what they want. God hears those prayers, but how much more will he respond to a prayer that we might connect with him! So, take the time to be consciously with God more often. One way to do that is to learn to read scripture in more than one way. At times, it is valuable to read the Bible in an informational way, simply to learn what it actually says. At other times, it is useful to read the Bible in a critical way, seeking to understand the milieu of the biblical world, grasp the circumstances that led to the specific texts being written and learn what the words meant to the original audience. But at still other times, we should read in a devotional way, with our spiritual ears open to hear what these ancient texts say to us personally today. And we can do that because God continues to speak through the Bible. When we read scripture devotionally, we should ask God what the things we read have to do with us, and then listen for his answer. If we do not understand the answer or do not like it, then we tell God about that. If we are still hungry, then let him know that, too. Some hunger is not satisfied in a fast-food meal, and the same is true in our prayer time. Relationship building Before Jesus spoke to the people in the desert — and to us today concerning John the Baptist and our own greatness — he reminded them of what it was they had seen Jesus himself do: “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” This may well be another window into understanding the face of God. What do those actions of Jesus tell us about what he will do for us? In what ways might we take offense at what he taught? And what do we tell him about that? Relationship building does not happen with a fast-food approach. And some relationships die a slow death (if, in fact, they ever get off the ground) because the people who attempt them never ask themselves what they are seeking to begin with. So the question that Jesus addresses to us today as to what we came out to see is one worth the time of our reflective response. It is the beginning of satisfying the hunger that exists in all of us. |
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