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Lectionary Scripture: Luke 12:32-40 (NRSV)
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.?
Reflections on the Lectionary Scripture
One faith tradition's reflection on this coming Sunday's lectionary makes the statement, "We have a part to play in the Son of Man stealing back of creation." The statement immediately struck home for me. As a licensed psychotherapist in Oregon and Washington, it is powerful inspiration for me and reminds me of a dream I had at age 19. Slightly awake as dawn's early morning light began through my basement window, I fell back to sleep. In the dream/vision that followed, I found myself sitting in the midst of a spring meadow. A warm breeze brushed against my skin. The grass was as perfect a green as I had ever seen. I then looked to the sky, never had I seen a sky so perfectly blue and cloudless. I sensed a profound peace in everything around me including myself! Several moments later, I comprehended what confronted me -- the World was at peace! Not only was it at peace, but God had restored the Earth. My heart was full to bursting with realization that God's Reign over the Earth had begun. The Divine One had taken Creation back to God's self. I cannot say whether this occurred during my years of mortal living or if such occurred in an existence to come following death. What I do know is that as I sat in the meadow, I no longer needed my glasses for seeing due to my severe near-sightedness, for I too had been healed even as the Earth had healed. My heart was overjoyed.
"Where is my heart?" asks a particular faith tradition that I can no longer accept calling itself prophetic? For me, I will answer that it is with each of my suffering patients day in and day out as they try to make sense of a world so quickly scrambling toward war and ruin that disregards social justice, disregards climate justice; a world so highly antagonized over a populace that's increasingly non-white, non-conservative, spiritually pluralistic, sexually pluralistic, and which expects a major correction that the rich and powerful take on their fair share of bettering the Common Good worldwide.
I will never be able to make sense of why the rich and powerful in the United States get to legally opt out of paying their fair share of taxes. For instance, Social Security does not tax their income beyond $147,000 annually. My income never reaches that level, so I always pay 6% annually of my total income toward Social Security. If I were self-employed it would be 12% annually. The rich and powerful should have to pay the exact same percentage of their total income to Social Security tax as do most of us. Concerns about the viability of Social Security for meeting the needs of our country's elderly would no longer be an issue. What kind of conscience and heart lives within the rich and powerful that they are not beating down the doors of our elected officials/representatives demanding that they be assessed their fair share of Social Security taxes for the safety and well-being of the old, frail, and disabled of our suffering sisters and brothers. A correction on this matter alone is long overdue.
There was a period in my life lived in my former faith tradition that I had to watch my language or how I presented my perspectives on what is right and/or best for the Common Good. I have always felt so grateful to God for calling me out of that tradition in May 2011 and making me part of "stealing creation back" for healing of the Earth and all life living upon it. I hope for you and wherever you are, that you will be able and willing to find the freedom to do so as well.
May God's Peace be with you!
Brad Shumate
Free of Encumbrance
Eugene, Oregon USA