Training Wheels

The 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

I can’t remember exactly how old I was when I learned how to ride a bike, but I do remember the thrill when the training wheels came off for good and I had my freedom! My bike was a metallic green Schwinn, and it was a beauty. My best friend, Doug, and I rode our bikes everywhere. We went through the countryside… raced down steep hills… out to the beach to watch the sailboats or dig for clams… we sometimes rode the 18 miles or so to a subway station where we could lock up our bikes and take the train into the city. Yes, when a kid learns to ride a bike, the world can really open up. It’s like a bird learning to fly!

In lots of ways, it’s the same with our life of faith. The writer of the Book of Wisdom asks in our first reading today: Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the Lord intends? It sounds like a rhetorical question—a question not meant to have an answer—but to a large extent, there is an answer. Who can know God’s counsel or conceive what the Lord intends? You can!

Some people in this congregation have sat out in those pews for 80 years or more. They’ve listened to the words of 8 or 9 popes… 7 or 8 bishops of Peoria… countless priests, nuns, religious education teachers and Catholic authors. They’ve heard the words of Jesus in gospel readings thousands of times. They’ve memorized Catechism questions and answers.

Some of us haven’t been around quite that long, but we’ve also been well immersed in the teachings of Jesus Christ. We know the most important lesson that the Lord wants us to know: that we are to love one another and build each other up every way we can.

So who can know God’s counsel or conceive what the Lord intends? We all can. I guess to some extent we can take the “training wheels” off and ride like the wind to live out our liberating faith!

In some of the gospel readings we’ve heard over the past few weeks, Jesus has reminded us that money and possessions can interfere with God’s grand design for human life. When greed or selfishness obsess us, it’s easy to put making money or buying things above other people. It’s easy to get caught up in our own little world.

Today, Christ says to us: “And another thing. Not only should we not let money and possessions interfere with the Christian life, we can’t let people interfere either.” So when Jesus tells us we should hate our mother and father, our spouse and children, our brothers and sisters, what he means is that we can’t let anyone—including the people nearest and dearest to us—pull us away from the attitudes we’re supposed to have and the loving virtues we’re supposed to practice.

Dirt Devil, the vacuum cleaner maker, ran an ad campaign with a tag line that went: “Life is messy. Clean it up.” Well, life is messy. Sometimes we’re not sure how we’re supposed to respond to a situation. We’re not always sure how we’re even supposed to feel about things.

Your grandchild or your sister is getting married outside the church. Should you go to the wedding? Should you give a gift? Should you say congratulations or express your concern? The relatives have lots to say on the subject and are pulling you in both directions. Life is messy.

Most people like nice, clean, neat answers to life’s dilemmas. Yes, you should do this. No, you shouldn’t do that. But those kinds of answers aren’t always possible. Shunning a relative for marrying outside the church or living a life you don’t approve of doesn’t sound like a good plan. On the other hand, simply ignoring a troublesome situation isn’t ideal either. How do you deal with issues in life that are not black or white but some shade of gray?

Jesus was fantastic at working through the dilemmas of messy life. He had his eye so much on the “big picture” of loving God and people that he could sidestep the conflicts we often get embroiled in. Maybe it’s worth reviewing his approach.

The first thing Jesus always did was listen, even when his apostles tried to pull him away. I can’t think of a single gospel where he came bursting on the scene with his mind made up ahead of time or where he gave a pat, absolute answer. No way. He looked around, he observed, he really listened to what someone had to say first to see where they were coming from. That’s a good rule for us, too: the first step in reaching out to anyone is to listen to them with an open mind.

Jesus also broke down walls by taking the initiative to respect and value people and show them empathy. People know when they’re in a tough spot. They don’t need us to tell them that. If we put them on the defensive with our superior attitude or hostility, there’s not going to be any connection.

Another thing Jesus did was to try to find a common ground. Maybe he asked their opinion on something or requested a small favor. Maybe he showed his own neediness—like saying that he was tired and thirsty. When we show a little vulnerability and humanness, people are more likely to open up.

Jesus also didn’t mind spending whatever time was necessary with someone in need. He didn’t keep checking his watch or his PDA for his next appointment. People sense when you’re entirely present to them and it makes a big difference. In fact, the experience is so positive that they’re likely to go out and do the same for somebody else! So you’ve won a convert.

And lastly, Jesus was a big believer in planting seeds. He didn’t demand an immediate answer. He didn’t make anybody cry uncle. He gave people something to think about. He planted the seed, blessed it, and gave it time to take root and grow. When people acted, it was then their conscience, their freedom of choice. He changed many hearts with his patience and respect. So can we.

So who can know God’s counsel or conceive what the Lord intends? Yes, you can. Don’t let people or things get in your way of doing the Lord’s work that he has planted in your heart. Your training wheels are off and you know how to ride! And now, in the words of today’s psalm, may God prosper the work of your hands.