Reflective Action

Help me Lord to speak what the Holy Spirit teaches!

Reflection




Believing without seeing is called faith.  Paul tells us we must have the faith of Abraham. (Romans 4:13, 16-18)  Abraham was an elderly man who was told he would have many descendants, and became the father of many nations. We must remember that the Lord has promised good things for those who believe and that He remembers His promise yesterday, today, and forever. Challenges in our faith lives may arise, but it is necessary to push through and remember that Christ is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)

When we are afraid to make it known that we are Christian, when we are afraid to openly live our faith, it is vital to remember that God is there, He cares, and He has asked us to believe. He is truly the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and those who follow Him will be ultimately rewarded. It may not seem like it now, but his covenant is so much greater than any promise the material world could ever offer.

It seems that following rules is easier than having faith.  I can go through motions with my mind and emotions on autopilot in following rules, but I need to be engaged to have faith.  I can complete a punch list of tasks in following laws, but I need faith to understand and accept why the acts on the list are important for me. 

And acknowledging seems to me to be more than passive affirmation, but requires active manifestation.  Do we acknowledge Jesus if we attend Mass on Sunday and ignore those around us who are hungry?  Do we acknowledge Jesus if we follow the rule of not stealing someone’s goods and then don’t act to change our economic systems so there is a fairer distribution of goods?  Do we acknowledge Jesus if we refrain from physically harming another person and yet don’t act to change our society so domestic and other acts of violence are reduced?   Do we acknowledge Jesus if we profess a pro-life stance, yet support organizations and government agencies through donations and taxes that believe aborting children is a “right”?

I doubt that any of us does so consistently.  I know I don’t.  I find myself falling into the trap of rationalizing, of making excuses, of being insensitive, of being inactive.  I have to shake off the comfort of following rules to focus on the meaning behind the rules, to act and not judge, to comfort and not condemn.

Faith is reflective action, not merely words.  We manifest faith by acting on our beliefs, by living lives that are consistent with what we say is important to us, and by reflecting on our actions (or lack of actions) and questioning whether our motives and our directions are consistent with what we hear as God’s call to us.  We acknowledge Jesus by following His call to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to do social justice in this life.  We know that if we do we will be acknowledged by Him in the next. (Luke 12:8-12)