Thursday, September 4, 2014

Sunday Scripture Reflection, September 7, 2014: The one who loves another...


Being community means watching out for one another.

Our readings this week challenge us to think about what it means to be community, what it means to be church.  The prophet Ezekiel has an unenviable job:  no one likes to listen to the woes he foretells.  But as watchman for the house of Israel, Ezekiel is also called to be on the lookout – not for enemies (they are already in exile!), but for any evil that might further threaten their covenant with God, for any wrong choices that might affect God’s relationship with the people of Israel.  Ezekiel might have appreciated the message of Psalm 95:  If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.  In other words, stay open to God:  listen for him to speak to you; be reliant on him; trust in God as your focal point.  Ezekiel has done this:  his heart is open, else he could not be God’s mouthpiece, and he is an able watchman, caring and concerned for others.  But that responsibility also lies with the people of Israel… as it lies with us.

Jesus’s message to his disciples in Matthew’s gospel goes still deeper.  When there is conflict between you and your brother, he tells them, the key is to work to restore connection, to open the doors that are shut, because whatever affects two affects the whole community.  As Christians, we have an identity in the body; the Body of Christ consists of all those who come together for Eucharist, gathered in His name.  We are all watchmen; each of us is responsible for holding the community together, for paying attention to the relationships that make us church.  Moreover, as Paul reminds the Romans, God – the God that is love – is the binding force of that community; we are to love one another.  In order to keep a watch out for each other, we have to start there:  with love and concern for our neighbors.   It means stepping beyond our selves, accepting others as they are, without having to change them.  If we love others as fully as we possibly can, if we love as Jesus did, taking humanity to the cross and dying for us, then that love will be transformative, and we will truly be community, truly be church.

This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
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