http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/032714.cfm
The great theologian and writer C.S. Lewis once said, “If
you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t
recommend Christianity.” In this reading from the Gospel of Luke, Jesus
presents an ultimatum that makes me, and I’m sure others, sort of
uncomfortable. “Whoever is not with me is against me” is a trope in popular culture
and politics so common, it is deserving of its own Wikipedia page. We learn in
English class that this argument is a type of logical fallacy called a “false
dichotomy.” However, Jesus presents to us the great truths – the truths of
God’s love -- and if we do not accept all of them, we cannot accept any of
them. It does not make sense to say that you love your neighbor, but exclude
Phil across the street because he never returned your lawnmower when you let
him borrow it. In the same way, you cannot respect God’s gift of life without
respecting the lives of the homeless, elderly, mentally handicapped, and all
other marginalized peoples, as challenging as that may be for some. Even loving
most people means that there are those who are unloved, which directly
contradicts the teachings of the Lord. But how often can we say that we are
fully following Jesus? As sinful, imperfect people, the only possible answer is
“never.” Lent offers us a time to make ourselves uncomfortable, not only
through the abandonment of some material comforts, but through pushing
ourselves to live as completely Christ-like as we can. Ask yourself at the end
of the day how many opportunities you rejected to live like Jesus asked us to,
and how many opportunities you accepted. Try your hardest to be with Jesus.
Ian Schaefer
FCLC 2017
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