A Leap is required

The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary today present episodes which remind us of the need to accept the challenge to take the leap of faith. The passage from the Book of Numbers tells of the impatience and discontent of the Israelites with God and the leadership of Moses which had taken them into the arid and desolate parts of the Arabian peninsula. This movement away from the trust in God, that had saved them from slavery in Egypt, exposes them to mortal danger from the bite of snakes in that region. The call to God from the position of desperation brings a healing response. Friar Jude Winkler reminds us of the liturgical practice in people of that time to put the icon of the healing they had experienced on a staff for all to be reminded of the gracious action of God. The dialogue of Jesus with the religious authorities in the Gospel of John reveals the stubborn attitude that we all take when faced with the challenge of change. The leap of faith is not often begun from a position of comfort and contentment with the status quo. The psalmist cries out to God from a position of distress and is sure and reassured of the merciful response of God who "releases those doomed to die".  Jesus confronts the stubborn Pharisees with their choice of death over the life which He invites them to embrace. This movement for Jesus and His followers to Life is through the giving of self to glorify God, in Jesus case, the gift of I AM to I AM as Love for all. A great Leap!