Gospel: John 8: 31-42
It is a perennial mistake in the life of religion to suppose that the most important part of religion is membership in an exclusive club or lineage back to a founding figure. In today's reading Jesus' adversaries pin their faith life on being children of Abraham by ancestry, by being members of God's chosen people. This is not unlike those who regard Apostolic succession or membership in the One True Church as being most important for faith life.
But Jesus dispels this notion rather quickly. What makes for an authentic religious person is what is in the heart and what deeds one performs. A heart full of love that brings forth deeds of mercy and compassion for others is what makes a person truly blessed. One cannot claim to be a child of Abraham or member of the Church if one's heart is full of malice toward others, if one demeans immigrants, refugees, migrants, and anyone else you do not like.
Membership in a particular group is important only to the extent that that group helps one another live a life of mercy and love for others. If a group becomes destructive of that goal, then the group is no longer an effective instrument of God's grace in the world. May our lives and our faith communities be places of care for others where mercy and love are nurtured and extended to all.
No comments:
Post a Comment