Trying to run away

The texts today in the Roman Catholic Lectionary speak of service and forgiveness as aspects of the life in relationship with God. The story of Jonah in the belly of the whale was a favourite for many children. The text reveals that Jonah ended up in the whale as a consequence of his attempt to run away from the mission he understood he was called by God to perform. The whale becomes for Jonah the means by which God saves him from the pit. In the Gospel of Luke the lawyer approaches Jesus with the question of who is to be considered neighbor when Jesus proclaims that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. The choice of example given by Jesus emphasizes the universality of all as neighbor. The Pharisee lawyer would find the desolate, unclean, one who has rejected the legalisms of the Jewish people as the most unlikely neighbor imaginable. This is the one for whom the Law, your schedule and treasure must yield. The role of the Law in the application of mercy and forgiveness is still an obstacle in Christian charity. In particular, around the sanctity of life, Catholic Christians may be running away from mercy and forgiveness as the essence of what we bring to our neighbor and like the Pharisee lawyer or Jonah, seeking an exemption from giving love and support because of the Law. We need to work with those members of the Body of Christ who have ministered to the needs of those facing life decisions around abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment and war. Compassion, mercy and life as gift of God are the foremost convictions of those who struggle with action in the hospital, on death row and on the battlefield. The revelation of "who is my neighbor?" in these places is crucial to keep us from running away or seeking a "legal exemption" from love.