Interpretations

 

After Jesus points out to a crowd people how well they can see things and know what kind of weather they’re going to have, He says, “You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”(Luke 12:54-59)  He’s pointing out to them that they’re witnesses to all kinds of signs that the Messiah has come, but they fail to recognize Him and who He is for them.

In makes me wonder in a bit of panic how we’re interpreting our present time.  If you think about, the pandemic has given us evidence of how much we’re connected.  What we do actually does affect another person.  But it appears that we’ve let the political divisions in the U.S. influence how we treat each other and the pandemic itself during this time.

On November 22, 1963 and September 11, 2001 (and many other times in our history) our country—at least temporarily—put aside or differences and everybody worked and prayed together to see us through those tragedies.  It just seems to me that this moment in time is once again calling us to come together, not split apart.  What St. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians makes the most sense to me about how we’re to be in what is a difficult time for so many: “I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love…”(Ephesians 4:1-6). 

Paul is saying that we’ve been called to care for each other and to acknowledge that there is one God who is father to us all, making us all brothers and sisters.  We know this through Jesus who is one Lord.  This is what He taught.  This is what those people watching the skies should have seen had they been watching Jesus as carefully as they were watching the clouds.

The psalms also remind us that we don’t have to face life’s disparities, contrasts, and confusions alone (Psalm 24:1-6); “Fling wide the gates, open the ancient doors and the Holy One will come in.”  All that’s needed is to open one’s self to God’s presence, and God is with us.  It’s true that we believe that God is ever-present.  But until we reciprocate and become present/open to God, it’s like having a friend physically next to us, but refusing to acknowledge the person’s presence.

As we approach election day in less than 2 weeks, my prayer is that we each open ourselves to God’s Spirit of wisdom and grace so that we can, “…interpret the present time,” in the Spirit of, “…hope, charity, gentleness, selflessness and patience.” Then, as we reflect in the midst of the multitudes of contrasts in rhetoric, platforms, and personalities, may we invite our God into our hearts and minds as we go the polls in November.