Here I am, God!
JANUARY 18TH, 2009 — 2ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Dear Friends,
An email story about the death of Father Richard John Neuhaus crossed my computer screen today as I sat reflecting on the readings for this Sunday, and contemplating the call of Samuel in the First Reading and that of Andrew and Peter in the Gospel. Initially, I was distracted by the email, yet somehow felt compelled to read a bit more about this man who albeit something of a religious conservative, has been hailed by some as "America's leading religious commentator". I learned that he was a convert to Catholicism having been raised a Lutheran; and the article, authored by Fr. Raymond de Souza, for whom Fr. Neuhaus had been a dear friend and mentor speaks of him as a "dominant figure in Catholic intellectual life; civil rights activist, Vietnam war protester and pro-life champion; author of landmark books arguing for religious pluralism against secular fundamentalism; pioneer in Christian-Jewish dialogue; interlocutor of popes and presidents; and impresario of the journal, First Things..." Obviously an impressive background... and call.
What particularly caught my attention was the following:
the art of conversation that was his means of guiding others in the way of discipleship. Unlike no man I have ever met, he was utterly at
ease discussing the most serious things; not so much this or that influential book, but struggles in the life of virtue, mysteries in theology,
the great questions of my life and his: What does the Lord want of me?
That his preferred method of doing so was after evening prayers had been said, with a drink in one hand and a cigar in the other, was the practical affirmation of his theological conviction that to rejoice in the Lord's gifts was an obligation of gratitude...
He had many gifts and did not pretend otherwise. Yet he knew that to whom much is given, much is demanded, and he filled his life with so much reading, writing, preaching and launching of new ventures that one suspected that he knew that a great deal would be demanded of him indeed.
He once began a conversation with me by asking, even before the first sip of the pre-prandial drink: "How are you managing your ego?
When I choked on my own drink at that conversation starter, he chided me for pretending to false modesty. The point was not to pretend that gifts hadn't been given, but use all of them for God's glory, for which purpose they were given.
That his preferred method of doing so was after evening prayers had been said, with a drink in one hand and a cigar in the other, was the practical affirmation of his theological conviction that to rejoice in the Lord's gifts was an obligation of gratitude...
He had many gifts and did not pretend otherwise. Yet he knew that to whom much is given, much is demanded, and he filled his life with so much reading, writing, preaching and launching of new ventures that one suspected that he knew that a great deal would be demanded of him indeed.
He once began a conversation with me by asking, even before the first sip of the pre-prandial drink: "How are you managing your ego?
When I choked on my own drink at that conversation starter, he chided me for pretending to false modesty. The point was not to pretend that gifts hadn't been given, but use all of them for God's glory, for which purpose they were given.
How often is our response to God's call, "Who me?" "I can't do that!" Despite that fact that we are in many ways a self-absorbed culture, we seem to suffer from a kind of 'false modesty' when it comes to claiming our gifts. Perhaps it seems like bragging, or perhaps our low self esteem paralyzes us, or perhaps like Samuel, we need a mediator such as Eli to tell us it is time to respond: "Speak, my God, for your servant is listening!"
As we celebrate the dream of Martin Luther King taking on flesh this Tuesday as Barack Obama is inaugurated as President of the United States, we are inspired by these 2 men who heard the "call" and spoke a resounding "Here I Am!" May their courage and integrity feed our souls and compel us to listen intently to how God might be speaking to each of us in this time of new beginnings.
If you are searching for a "spiritual home" to support you as you say "Here I Am!" and respond to God's call in your life, we invite you to join us at Spirit of Life. As a community, we try wholeheartedly to "be Christ" to one another, to tend to the needs of one another, and to those in need in our world. Together, we celebrate our belief that we are being transformed by God's grace as we gather together in prayer. We warmly invite you to come and gather with us at our Table, and join in our experience of the "kin-dom" of God. We are an inclusive, open, affirming and interactive community, deeply committed to being a people of "justice and joy."
May you hear God's call to you in a new way as our country embraces new leadership this coming week,
Find more about past weekly reflections and podcasts in our ARCHIVE PAGE.
