Solid foundations, shaky structures

 

In Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy, we’re reminded of God's saving grace, the hope for sinners (1 Timothy 1:15-17).  In Luke’s Gospel we hear that what we produce is a result of what is in our heart (Luke 6:43-49).

With three different doctor appointments coming in the next two weeks, it wasn’t difficult to find a contemporary analogy to the fickle followers that Jesus railed against in the Gospel.  No matter which doctor I see or what his specialty is, one of the first things each of them tells me is to lose 10 pounds.  Each visit I agree and commit myself to a new diet and/or exercise.  It’s doesn’t take long though, for the tasks at hand take over and I return to my old habits.  My heart and soul aren’t in the effort.  The fervor doesn’t last.

I’d like to say that I have a relationship with God where my heart and soul are always part of the process.  I’d like to say that this always leads me to make the best choice based on how my heart and soul guide me.  However, I need to say honestly this isn’t the case.

I find that in many ways, I relate to God in the same way that my sixteen-year-old relates to me.  There’s a loving relationship, there’s a solid foundation, but some things are the way they are just because we’re not ready to give up our independence.  Sometimes—too often—we choose to do things the hard way.

In the Gospel, there is a man who built his house on the loose soil only to see it swept away.  The point of the story is the man didn’t have the solid foundation on which to build.  I have a different spin on the story.  I can see Jesus lecturing the crowd for having their heart in the wrong place, but for many of us this doesn’t seem to be the problem.  Sometimes we have the solid foundation, but we choose to ignore it.  This isn’t because of evil in our heart, but because of all of the psychological complexities that make us human.  It’s here that God's grace for sinners becomes apparent.  In the same way, parents don’t cast their children aside for not always making the best choice.  Instead we as parents invest the time over the years to see that what really matters becomes second nature to our children.  I trust that my God is sculpting hearts in the same way.