The news – which I highly suggest you don’t watch more than 15 minutes
a day because that will really fuel your anxiety – is full of stories about
this crisis and sharing every possible theory of treatment, or how to avoid the
virus:
– this medicine is promising
– vaccines are being tested…
– the warmer weather and humidity will curb the spread of it…
Of course, I’m praying that any or all of those things prove to be
true. But what’s probably fueling our collective anxiety is all this
uncertainty. We just take a look around and feel in unchartered territory. We
want to know who to listen to… what direction we need to follow to get back to
whatever it was we considered our “normal.”
Once, the scribes came to Jesus asking “what is the first of all
the commandments.” It was more about of
the hundreds of laws that had been given and had evolved over time where did
Jesus land on what was the most important? It basically was trying to pin Jesus
down in terms of what camps, groups, politics was Jesus aligned with.
No, they weren’t dealing with a quarantine – but as Jews they were
feeling isolated, anxious, uncertain as well. Having been occupied by the
Romans (which was a nicer way of saying enslaved) – so there greatest of
victories, the freedom from Egypt was now a distant memory… and seeing
widespread corruption in both there public and religious officials – for the
people nothing made sense. How did they get into this situation with so much
division where everything was a mess- and even more importantly how (or could
they) ever get out of it? Sounds familiar to our own political system today.
Jesus’ simply answers: “Love God with all your heart, with all
your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength… and your neighbor as
yourself.” It seems obvious. This is what is most important. Loving God and
each other.
The Jews had forgotten that… They didn’t realize or see how in
their divisions, in their arguments, in their arrogance and inter fighting that
God had been displaced as being the center of their lives – and taking care of
their neighbors – taking care of each other -that was a distant after thought.
Particularly when so many of them couldn’t stand each other.
Jesus in this answer is getting “back to basics.” In the end, the
thing that matters the most is God the Father – and recognizing our identity
comes from Him. As beloved daughters and sons – that makes us sisters and brothers,
and Dad (God the Father) expected them (and us) to treat each other better.
The beautiful revelation is that Jesus reminds us of how God treats
us, looks at us. Jesus is saying to everyone of his listeners – “Hear this… God
loves you – each and everyone of you, personally, individually with all His
Heart… with all His Soul… with all His mind and all His strength.”
We can acknowledge all the different things that are making us
anxious and uncertain in our world right now, but we shouldn’t stay there –
obsessing and worrying about them to the point that we forget what should be
the first commandment, the first priority of every age and generation. Jesus’
revelation of our eternal identity should inspire confidence and trust that
surpasses this – or any crisis of any time – that we should face. God is with
us – He loves us… Will we reciprocate that love?
I have called all my parishioners twice in the past week to remind
them to be safe, to never hesitate to call for help if needed and while Sunday Mass
is suspended, God loves them and will protect them. Ben, a young adult parishioner, told me this: “Father Matt, you
know what I do for a living, so if anyone needs my services, let me know and I
will come out to help them.
My Sonshine Friends, that’s the bright future of our church, I
pray that there are millions of Ben’s and Sarah’s out in our country being a
light to those in darkness loving God and neighbor. Know that you are very much
loved and admired by this shepherd.
