Lord, let the light of your peace shine through me in my little corner of the world. Show me how to respect, honor, and love every member of your human family—those I know and those I will never meet.
Category Archives: wholeness
Humble pie
JESUS MAFA. The poor invited to the feast, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
[Jesus said,] “Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13-14
I cannot imagine seeking out the poor, crippled, lame, or blind to have a meal at my home. What would I cook for them, I who am not much of a cook? Annie’s gluten free macaroni and cheese?
I think the point Jesus is making is that I must learn to overcome self-centeredness and become aware of others and their needs. I must learn to help others quietly and unobtrusively, without expecting thanks or any kind of return. I must learn to give freely, with open hands, just as God gives me love and compassion without end. I must learn to welcome everyone I meet, not just those who might be able to further my career, or those who make me smile, or those whose opinions match my own. I must learn to look at everyone with eyes and heart open to see and welcome a precious child of God, a member of God’s beloved human family. I must learn that we all have a place at God’s table and my place is not at the head.
The heart of it
[Jesus said,] “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” Luke 12:34
The heart leads where the mind is afraid to go. The heart trusts what the mind cannot make sense of. The heart opens and welcomes when the mind stays closed and isolated.
The heart knows sorrow, experiences compassion, abounds in forgiveness. The heart recognizes God in the faces of all people, finds God in the beauty of the natural world, discovers God in silence. The heart shines out love, expands in gratitude, heals with grace.
Ask and Receive
Luke 11:1-13
“Lord, teach us to pray…”
Ask and receive are two parts that make a whole. When I ask God to show me the next right thing to do, I receive God’s guidance—often pointing me to the simple tasks of everyday life. When I ask God to be with me in times of stress or sorrow, I receive God’s comforting presence—often through the compassion and kindness of friends, family, or strangers. When I ask God to make me more like the Lord, I receive God’s grace—often through opportunities to practice gratitude, forgiveness, and patience.
When I ask God to teach me to pray, I receive the longing to spend quiet time with God, getting to know the Lord more intimately. I receive the courage to take those quiet moments to be renewed in the Lord’s love. And I receive the joy of being in the presence of the One who loves me and who is teaching me to love more perfectly.
Martha and Mary
Luke 10:38-42
Johannes (Jan) Vermeer – Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, 1654
Google Art Project
Wikimedia Commons
I tend to be like Martha – keeping busy, doing the laundry, making a meal, getting the groceries, rushing to work, paying the bills, checking my email… and welcoming friends and even strangers who need a listening ear.
On the other hand, I tend to be like Mary – taking time to ponder the things of God. I love to sit on my step and look at the trees and feel the Holy Spirit wind. I love to walk on the beach and feel the rhythm of the ocean and watch the sea gulls soaring. I love to talk to friends and hear their stories and insights about life. I love having time to do nothing in particular except be.
Jesus is right: Mary has chosen the better part. But he didn’t say that Martha’s part isn’t good or necessary. I think he is giving me a gentle reminder about balance. If I am a spiritual being in human form, then I need to consciously place my spirit in the presence of God every day.
Mary Ann McSweeny 