GOD WITH A TOUPEE

INTRODUCTION

This might be a strange homily. The title is, “God With A Toupee.”

I read today’s two readings for this Fifth Monday of Easter - in the hope of getting a theme to preach on. I said my usual prayer, “Come Holy Spirit! Give me an idea or some words or an image that will help the folks at the 12:10 Mass today.”

The readings and the Psalm in between talk about God - so I said, “Okay, say something about God.” 


Then I re-read the first reading a few times. It hit me that people can get strange ideas about God.  The crowd wants to declare Barnabas and Paul to be gods - who have come down to earth. And they say, “No, No! Not us. We’re here to tell you who the true God is.”

The Psalm used today continues that theme with the question. The Pagans ask, “Where is your God!”

And today’s gospel talks about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: our God.

THE PRIEST WITH THE TOUPPE

I once went to Boston with a group of ladies - a kitchen staff at a retreat house where I was working - to a 25^th Anniversary of one of our priests at the retreat house. We went out to a local restaurant for supper that first evening.

I noticed a man sitting by himself at another table and he was looking over at us from time to time. He had on a toupee - a horrible one at that.

After his meal he came over to us. He introduced himself as one of our priests - who was stationed in our house in Boston. He knew who we were - but we didn’t know who he was - till he took off his toupee. Then I recognized him and a few of the others did as well. 


I’ve always wondered why he didn’t come over earlier and sit down with us and enjoy supper together - instead of eating alone.

That was one of those moments in life I’ve never forgotten. Why?

Well it was strange and the guy was a strange guy - from what I picked up - but why did I remember that story this morning - when I began thinking about God?

POSSIBLE  ANSWER

Maybe because God is always with us - at the other table - but watching us. We don’t recognize Him, but He recognizes us. Then sometimes something happens and we’re reintroduced to God. God comes over and introduces Himself to us.

We all have our images and understandings of who God is.

When we die, the blinders will come off. Before we die, the blinders are on.

This is one of the major themes of the Gospel of John - whom we hear from a lot in the Easter Season.

John brings us to Jesus. John brings Jesus to our table - to our situations. Slowly we recognize Jesus is God. Jesus tells us this - when he says, “See me, see the Father.” “Recognize me, recognize the Father.”


APOPHATIC - KATAPHATIC

There is a whole theology that is called Apophatic Theology - which says over and over again, “To get to God, keep stripping off the images we have of God, the words we have about God, the attitudes we have towards God - and then when we are in that absolute emptiness - that absolute darkness - we can come face to face with God - darkness to darkness - emptiness to emptiness - darkness to light - emptiness to fullness. 


Those of you who have read John of the Cross are aware of some of this language.

I prefer Kataphatic or With Images - Theology - and enjoy the great images of God in the scriptures - and spot God in the restaurant - even if He has a toupee on.

CONCLUSION

My prayer is that God will come over to our table and introduce Himself. God will take off His toupee - as well as the assumptions I’ve put on Him. Then God will sit down and eat with us. 


Ooooooops. God already has done that. Isn’t that what this Supper with him is all about? Amen.