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Greetings, SBT Readers:
Browsing on the internet this morning, I came across a headline that grabbed my attention: "'Jeopardy!' fans stunned after Lord's Prayer question stumps all 3 contestants." Apparently, the contestants in this trivia show were unable to fill in the blank in the opening line to the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father who art in heaven __ be Thy name." Not one contestant even attempted to answer the question, but while fans were shocked, the article itself ended with an ominous reminder: "The number of Americans who identify themselves as Christians has 'declined at rapid pace' over the past decade or so, according to Pew Research Center." Even so, one would think that the Lord's Prayer is so universally known that it is part of one's cultural heritage, even if one is not a "believer."
In today's Gospel, Jesus commissions his disciples to help shepherd the lost and abandoned and to heal every affliction. In our post-Christian society, there are evidently many lost and abandoned ones in need of our care.
Many Blessings!
Elizabeth
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Link to the Sunday Readings
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity
because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he summoned his twelve disciples, giving them
authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure all diseases and every illness.
Matthew 9:36—10:8
If Jesus were moved with pity over the troubled and abandoned crowds of 2,000 years ago, how much more would he be distressed over the state of the church today? We are a "house divided," not only in terms of a multiplicity of faith denominations, but also in terms of politics, viewpoints, practice and theology. Issues such as the ordination of women, divorce and full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community have torn apart the Anglican Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Methodist Church, and Roman Catholicism to name a few. In addition to losing the faithful over clericalism, the prohibition against contraception and the never-ending scandal of pedophilia, here in the U.S. my own tradition -- Catholicism-- is divided into two main camps: progressive (typically, liberal Democrats who are pro-Vatican II, Pope Francis and a social justice agenda) and conservative (typically, fundamentalist Republicans who are pre-Vatican II, and not aligned with either Pope Francis or social justice issues).
Sadly, both camps are suspicious of each other and assume they know where members of the opposite camp stand on every issue. For example, it is not uncommon for conservative Catholics to assume that all liberal Catholics are pro-abortion and pro-gender fluidity, while liberal Catholics may assume that their conservative counterparts are racist, sexist and homo-phobic. Such labels and assumptions create "holier than thou" attitudes while making those in the opposing "camp" feel the sting of alienation and rejection. Is it conceivable to be a Democrat who is against abortion and believes in the Real Presence? Or is it possible to be a Republican who stands with Black Lives Matter and is in favor of the ordination of women? It is unfortunate that being "liberal" or "conservative" often holds greater weight than being Christian! Moreover, instead of finding common ground, we tend to see what separates us and use that as an excuse for keeping our distance.
As hard as we might try to be non-judgmental and open-minded, we often find ourselves continually processing data about other Christians -- the way they dress, the religious items they may be wearing, any devotions they might practice, their ways of referring to God, the political bumper stickers on
their car, their stand on abortion, their attitude towards climate change, and all the other variables which indicate to which camp they belong. If we find we "speak the same language," we are inclined to lower our guard because it feels "safe." If, however, we suspect that the other individual or group members hold different ideologies, we avoid self-revelation and limit our social interaction.
When leading the Israelites out of Egypt to be a "kingdom of priests, a holy nation," God did not check to see whether they were liberal or conservative in their beliefs nor whether they all thought alike or worshipped in the same way. Rather, there was only one requirement:
"Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine" (Ex 19:2-6a)
God's "camp" is neither liberal nor conservative; rather, it is home to those who love God and who love and serve one another for the sake of God's Holy Name. As Jesus pointed out in Mt 9:37, "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few." If we are to respond to his call, we must focus on what unites us not on what divides us, and the first step is to let go of our negative assumptions about each other.
QUESTIONS
FOR REFLECTION
* What "clues" alert you to the possibility that someone may belong to a different religious or spiritual camp than the one with which you identify?
* To what extent do you feel more comfortable with those who belong to your "camp" than with those who don't?
* What mistaken assumptions have you held about other members of your faith community?
* What mistaken assumptions have others formed about YOU?
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