The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to examine the bias and habits in our lives that inhibit our best choices for building compassion, mercy, and love.
Check our bias
The reading from the Prophet Jeremiah presents his response to his life being threatened.
“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,so that his name will be spoken no more.”1
Psalm 7 is a plea for help against persecutors.
* [Psalm 7] An individual lament. The psalmist flees to God’s presence in the sanctuary for justice and protection (Ps 7:2–3) and takes an oath that only the innocent can swear (Ps 7:4–6). The innocent psalmist can thus hope for the just God’s protection (Ps 7:7–14) and be confident that the actions of the wicked will come back upon their own heads (Ps 7:15–17). The justice of God leads the psalmist to praise (Ps 7:18).2
In the Gospel of John bias creates division among the people and reveals the unbelief of those in authority.
* [7:40–53] Discussion of the Davidic lineage of the Messiah.3
Cindy Costanzo shares imaging herself listening and observing Jesus and the events of today’s Gospel.
As I place myself in the crowd and imagine myself listening and observing Jesus and the events, I am very attentive. I am troubled at what I am hearing from the crowd and yet when I am near Jesus, I can feel the stirrings in my ‘heart’ and ‘gut.’ I have a feeling of safety, calmness, love and grace. I want to follow this man they call Messiah… This past week I read a disturbing email and I wanted to respond with a ‘critical-cautionary’ email … but I paused. Perhaps I did not understand the situation, I needed to recognize and respect that there could be a new and different way to proceed …. God was present, reminding me too not be critical. To let it go, to step back, to pause. Thank you, God for today’s scripture reading which reminded me to be open to new ways. 4
Don Schwager quotes “Not by walking but by loving,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"We approach God not by walking but by loving. The purer our love for him toward whom we are striving, the more present to us will he be. To him, therefore, who is everywhere present and everywhere whole, we must proceed not by our feet but by our moral virtues - judged not by the object of our knowledge but by the object of our love." (excerpt from Letter 155,13)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 7:40-53 notes that Jesus was from Galilee, but he healed the sick, drove out demons, and raised the dead. He spoke with the authority of God himself. Surely that said more about him than his obscure origins.
It’s not too much of a stretch to see how this type of reasoning can creep into our minds even today. We may fall into the trap of thinking that we know someone based on their level of education or job, their hometown or background, or even where—or whether—they go to church. If you’ve ever made those kinds of judgments, now is probably a good time to take a deeper look at your thoughts.6
Friar Jude Winkler reviews the failure of the people to convert their hearts in the light of Jeremiah’s words. Vindicator or redeemer are two possible words that could be in the plea that Jeremiah makes to God. Friar Jude uses the example of Nicodemus to underline how the gift of faith needs attention to grow over time.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that Francis of Assisi did not just tolerate or endure simplicity, he loved it and found his freedom there. He understood that living simply was a way to remedy selfish habits and cultivate generosity. This week’s practice from Kyle David Bennet invites us to consider ways that we might simplify our lives and material possessions.
Use “spring cleaning” or however you clean your apartment or house to examine and evaluate how you can live simply. Every year I end up purging inessential books that I’ll never read again and donating clothes that no longer fit. Frequent exercises in purging can help us live simply.7
Our bias may be to confirm what we already believe or to consider different ideas negatively. (CAC faculty member Brian McLaren has done thoughtful and helpful research about what makes us see things so differently from one another. He identified thirteen biases.) Openness to a nudge from the Spirit may reveal truth, beauty, or goodness that our prejudice has hidden from sight.
References
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