Humble choice

The Roman Catholic Lectionary today chooses the articulation of the Prophet Micah for the path which God desires we follow. Dick Hauser SJ considers this statement from the Hebrew Testament to be among the best presentations of the desire of God for our lives. The Guideposts Web site offers six steps to walking humbly with our God. It uses Moses as an example of the humility which we need to emulate. There is much value in the action urged by each of these steps. As we begin to hear better and see within ourselves more clearly through the help of the Holy Spirit we are more open to the observation of the psalmist that we hate discipline and cast the words of God behind us. This observation is intensified by the words of Jesus in the Gospel today from Matthew when He refers to those, including ourselves, who are clamouring for a sign of His Divinity as an “adulterous generation”. Don Schwager is specific in declaring our problem as spiritual adultery. We are as stubborn and stiff necked as the Israelites of the desert in the time of Moses and we have two minds about our desire. We seek communion with God but unlike the Ninevites we hold on to our other desires for power, pleasure and privilege. We are dissatisfied with the shallow self serving “ethics” of modern society, yet greater than the Wisdom of Solomon is in our spiritual tradition and we ignore the invitation to know more. The indecision, uncertainty and insincerity of those sitting on the fence, described in Matthew’s Gospel, stand in stark contrast with the image, like Eden, from Micah, of walking in peace, love and fruitfulness with God. Which direction do we choose?