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Greetings, SBT Readers:
On this Labor Day weekend, many are grateful for employment and for all the benefits it brings-- not just in terms of providing basic necessities but in creating a sense of purpose, a drive to accomplish something that will in some way make a difference to someone, somewhere. Sadly, many employers assume that work is transactional: that employees are content to be compensated for their
labor and that provided there is a fair exchange, all will be well. This may have worked "once upon a time," but working conditions and what I call "soul satisfaction" are also part of any employment, whether white collar or blue collar.
Workers from any walk of life not only appreciate support, respect and gratitude, but they thrive on being connected to something "greater" than themselves -- to a vision of some kind that makes them proud of their contribution, whether this is designing screws for some revolutionary mode of transportation or being the mechanic who anchors those screws on the vehicle itself. Conversely, when work seems meaningless and laborers are reduced to "cogs in a machine" then spiritual atrophy can set in. Endless hours, repetitive tasks, little human interaction, and no sense of ownership are toxic, regardless of the compensation received. At the same time, the absence of work can also create a "soul crisis"-- a loss of hope, purpose, identity, the shame of not contributing...
Labor Day is not just a day of rest, but a time for remembering those who are excluded from working (whether because of legal status, retirement, health, etc.) and those whose work is soul-destroying. As a society, may we work towards creating opportunities for work that are life-giving for all concerned, regardless of compensation. A happy society is a healthier society and a safer society...
Many Blessings!
Elizabeth
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Link to the Sunday Readings
Jesus began to teach his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised up.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
Jesus turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me.
You are not thinking as God does, but as human beings do."
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
"Those who wish to come after me must deny themselves,
take up their cross, and follow me.
For those who wish to save their lives will lose them,
but those who lose their lives for my sake will find them.
What profit would there be for people to gain the whole world
and forfeit their lives?
Or what can one give in exchange for life?
For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to their conduct."
Mt 16:21-27
"God forbid!" We can understand Peter's objection to Jesus' prediction regarding his approaching passion and death. So horrified is he that he misses Jesus' words about his resurrection; all he can hear is that the religious authorities will torture and then execute his beloved friend. Little wonder that he objects -- and who among us would react any differently? When faced with such a terrible prediction, could we even register the "good news"? Like Peter, we would be in shock, completely numbed by the very thought of what lies ahead. And, like Peter, we would earn Jesus' rebuke for standing in his way.
"God forbid!" Jesus' response is to tell Peter is that he is seeing from a human perspective, not from God's perspective; his expectation, then, is that his followers should be able to see as God sees, hear as God hears and respond as God responds. Apparently, God's vision and human vision are not in alignment, especially when it comes to suffering. Jesus' next words hammer home the point: not only should his followers see the necessity for his sufferings, but they should also accept their own; in fact, if they want to follow him, they must take up their own crosses-- that is, they must be willing to suffer the most shameful and excruciatingly painful forms of death, mocked and despised by all, seemingly abandoned by God. Today, we tend to speak of the Cross figuratively, but to Jesus' audience, crucifixion was all too familiar as the Romans' unspeakably cruel method of execution for the worst of crimes. To take up one's cross, then, is no light task!
"God forbid!" It is interesting that Jesus doesn't tell his disciples that they have to take up his Cross but that everyone needs to carry their own. The implication here is that we are not called to suffer vicariously through participating in Jesus' sufferings, but that each of us has our own unique trials to go through. This is not to say that we must go in search of a "cross" or that when one surfaces, we don't look for relief or healing. If that were the case, people would remain trapped in abusive relationships and dehumanizing situations, believing oppressors who convince them that such suffering is "God's will." It is not. Rather, "the Cross" takes many forms and can include standing up to all that is oppressive. Take Jeremiah, for example. In our first reading he shares the "derision and reproach" he has experienced as a result of prophesying in God's name; if he could, he would run from this ministry, but he chooses instead to embrace the fire of God's word, no matter the cost (Jer 20:7-9). Paradoxically, while his "Cross" brings suffering, it is also life-giving, giving him purpose and fulfillment, drawing him closer to God as he surrenders to all that the Holy One asks of him.
The "Cross," then is not just about suffering but it can also be seen as a path to life -- and not just eternal life. Shouldering our individual crosses, we taste and see the presence of God by walking in justice, loving goodness, and walking humbly in God's company (Micah 6:8). It is a burden at times and often inconvenient, but it can also inspire us to work tirelessly to overturn unjust systems, to provide a voice for the voiceless, and to challenge the status quo; it can also cause heartache as we weep over the agony of the world, but, at the same time, it pushes us to act -- to move out of our comfort zones to alleviate the suffering of the Earth and her peoples. From a human perspective, the Cross is something to be avoided at all costs; from God's perspective -- and here I am being a little presumptuous-- it is an invitation for personal transformation and prophetic action. Ultimately, it draws us closer to the Heart of God.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
* What cross or crosses are you carrying right now and what are you learning from them?
* If you were to subtract a past tense cross from your life's story, would you be enriched or diminished?
* What gives you the courage to bear your crosses in life?
* Is there anything you need to surrender in this season of your life?
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