QUIT PLAYING AROUND!

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The first and third readings for this Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, have the same theme: Humans experiencing God's call.

Picture it for a moment. You're a Galilean fisherman. Your whole livelihood is wrapped up in your boat: it's your livelihood, your identity, your prized possession. Then along comes Jesus, who steps into your boat uninvited and tells you to push out from shore. Think of some stranger getting into your car and telling you where to drive.Here's a first principle of the spiritual life: The initiative is always God's. Grace comes unbidden, undeserved, unmerited -- and often unwanted. 

A second bedrock truth about spirituality shows up in both readings. In the first reading Isaiah is in the temple when suddenly God comes to him in a vision and the prophet has the same reaction as Peter does after the miraculous catch of fish: I am a sinful man! In the bright light of the divine presence we become aware of our sinfulness, our unworthiness. This shows an important an often ignored truth: God comes to us even though we don't deserve it. We can't earn God's grace, we can't work ourselves into a position in which we "deserve" God's love.

Then in the gospel passage comes a line that I find truly challenging: "Put out into deep waters!" I think of Jesus challenging me to face a certain problem head on rather than running away or ignoring it. He's saying "I'm in the boat with you; don't be afraid to head into waters that are way over your head."

Of course it's safer to stay on the shore, like we used to do when I was a child, with the ocean up to my ankles, and build sand castles and play with my pail and shovel. But Jesus comes walking along the beach and seeing me, loves me and wants so much more for me. He gently (or not so gently) says to me, "Okay, time to quit playing around at the edge of the ocean. Come with me in to really deep part, where it's way over your head." I, of course don't want to leave the comfort and safety of the water's edge, and I try various excuses, or I drop my bucket and run up onto the beach and try to hide behind the picnic cooler. Here's a third principle of the spiritual life: No relationship with God can work if I'm the one in total control. I have to risk, I have to leave myself open and vulnerable to the Lord. 

There's plenty of food for thought in these readings. Let's pray for the gift of spiritual wisdom to know that God is the one who makes the first move, the movement of grace. Let's pray, too, for the humility to accept the gift of divine forgiveness, and the courage to let God be in control of our lives.

"Lord, I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6)