Christ the Redeemer/Olympic Torch |
The
Olympics highlight not only the dreams for medals in 36 events. They
also celebrate the values of peace, understanding, self-discipline
and excellence: values that people of good will everywhere strive
for. And we are touched
– especially during presidential campaigns -- by true camaraderie
among teammates and between competing teams.
The
Wisdom literature of Ancient Israel offers generally pithy pieces of
advice about how to live and behave. Think of
some of the “common sense” wisdom of your grandparents/parents.
"A
penny saved is a penny earned." Washington, D.C. should heed that advice. They've run up a national debt in the trillions. "Haste makes waste." If our nation weighed
strategically the pros and cons of its involvement in foreign affairs, perhaps we wouldn't have so many messes.
Jesus
says we are to “be like servants who await their master’s
return…ready to open immediately when He comes and knocks.” The
author quotes Jesus: be alert; be prepared; focus on what truly
matters: eternal life with God. We will be accountable for the kind
of person we become with the time/talent God gives us.
Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac by Chagall |
Faith
is, first and foremost, a gift from God whereby we begin a
relationship with the triune God, a relationship which we nurture
especially through prayer. It is
the acceptance of God’s promises as true..and a
commitment to live accordingly. It also includes the essential truths of our faith. And
just as there can be various stages in our moral development (Lawrence Kohlberg, e.g., proposed six), so too
there can be various stages in our faith development (James Fowler, e.g., proposed six).
Many of us share our faith even though we may not realize it. Parents/grandparents share faith when
they teach children the virtues of prayer, generosity, fairness,
honesty and service to others; so do teachers when they develop
habits of heart and skills of mind enabling students to become good
citizens; so do medical professionals as they calm fearful patients;
and so do citizens when they urge officials to promote human dignity and the common good.
We
especially share our faith when we stand up for what is right and
true and good. Every day
we have so many little opportunities to do good. As the saying goes:
Just do it.