I’m
pleased to let you know that a collection of my homilies has been
published by WestBow Press. The book, titled A Spirituality for
Sunday People, can be ordered in print or as an ebook, from Barnes
and Noble, Amazon.com and of course WestBowPress.com
In
the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus employed four antitheses (“you
have heard... but I say”) to emphasize the importance of attitude
over legality. And Jesus used a bit of middle eastern hyperbole to
make his point. Our attitudes create our behaviors. For example:
“you have heard that it was said, you shall not murder; but I say
to you: you shall not be angry.” Why? Because a bad attitude,
anger or resentment, can seethe into bad behavior, verbal or even worse, physical abuse. Discipleship with Jesus calls for a change of heart, a change of attitude, thinking and feeling positively, not negatively.
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| Jesus in a Storm at Sea by Rembrandt |
Jesus
is our true wisdom. He is our exemplar, our guide about how to live.
But who is Jesus. He is one with God, a God-man. God became one of us so that we could
become like God.
He experienced hunger, joy, friendship, disappointment, loneliness
and death. He was a rabbi, a teacher, a prophet, a wonder
worker, eventually crucified but then raised up and transfigured into a new kind of spiritual embodiment. And
the risen Christ is alive in our midst. And we too are alive with
God's life and favor.
Jesus
is indeed our guide, our leader. He communicated purpose through words, signs and
wonders in a way that galvanized, energized and excited people. He
generated trust among his disciples which was the glue that bound them together in
commitments. He inspired hope in the crowds, with a clear vision of the future, life in relationship with God forever. Finally, Jesus converted
purpose and vision into action through his death and resurrection.
Matthew
23:10 advises, in so many words there is only one master, one
messiah, one life-leader: Jesus Christ. This Jesus
calls each one of us to be leaders in our own situations. Yes, to be called by God to
influence others, that's what leadership is all about, is an enormous privilege, but it carries with it
great responsibility.
We
have to possess two things: confidence and character. Not only confidence in ourselves but first and foremost confidence in God. He is our shield, our strength and our guide.
We
have to be men and women of character. If
you look at the leadership failures in this country in the last 100
years, I will guess you will find 99 percent were failures in
character. Leadership involves ethics, right and wrong, a sense of responsibility, a value
system, integrity. And that is why character counts.
The
quality
of our life and our soul’s destiny will be measured by our character.
And
so our prayer might be:
God,
help me to lead a life of integrity, authenticity, humility and focus. Help me to have a similar concern for others as Jesus had for us. Help me to avoid passing
superficial judgments on other people. Give me wisdom and sensitivity
towards those who are struggling with life. Help me to fix my eyes
on
our
true wisdom, Jesus Christ, and to become like Jesus for others, men and women of confidence and character.
