Finding Our Way

I enjoy the Gospel of Mark.  I enjoy the way the narrative of Jesus is told as the issue of miracles is deeply embedded in the rich tradition of the text.  The miraculous is witnessed throughout all of the population.  I am speaking about a people that strive to exist in the world and hungers to have the Divine change their lives.  We see the radical changes in the lives of those who Jesus heals.  All of these changes cannot be defined in any terms other than miraculous.

Ah yes, the miraculous.  That space in which there is no explanation for an occurrence in our everyday life.  Somehow that which is infinitely bigger than who we are steps into our lives and we are changed (or saved) as a result of this heavenly occurrence.

Jesus brought this incredible love of God into our world and empowered those who called upon the redemptive presence of God to be living miracles in the lives of all who they encountered.  “Wait a minute Joe!  Didn’t Jesus instruct us that the greatest two commandments are to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves?”  While the answer to the question is yes, I believe that our actual obedience to these instructions to love is miraculous in itself.

How is someone’s life changed?  It is through the interaction with others.  God’s love is displayed in kindness.  Maybe this person has never known an act of mercy.  Maybe violence and abuse have been the barometers by which one may view their relationships with others.  This kind of pattern or cycle is reflected in how someone might perceive God.

We, the disciples of Christ, are called to set people free of all of the baggage that ties one to death.  We are called to be liberators who bring the miracle of truth to those in need.  This truth is grounded in the love and transformative power of Christ.  With the power of the Holy Spirit working through us, and yes even in spite of us, we offer a world the gift of restoration back to the Holy One.

Our calling began with that still small voice inside us.  I believe that is the presence of God in our lives.  Our teachers nurtured that voice.  These men and women of God encouraged us to grow in the knowledge and love of Christ.  We followed their example and now we are the ones to share the good news of faith, hope, and love to our world.

In the Gospel of Mark, we see how the disciples were taught and then empowered to share the incredible power of God by the greatest of all teachers.  We see how Jesus not only talked the talk, but walked the walk.  His lessons left a profound impact on not only a select group of men, but also the entire population who saw him demonstrating God’s love to humanity.  That love is displayed to us today in miraculous ways.  May we take the love that is shown to us and bring the miracle of God to our world.