TREADMILL OR MACADAM?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my thoughts for this 27^th Wednesday in Ordinary Time is, “Treadmill or Macadam?”

That’s the thought that hit me when I read today’s first reading from Galatians  2: 1-2, 7-14.

Paul writes that he does not want to “be running, or have run, in vain.”

Don’t we all?

TREADMILL OR MACADAM

I try to get some walking in 4 times a week. Depending on the weather and depending on how much time I have, I go out the front door and take a 45 minute walk through downtown Annapolis and then through the Naval Academy or I go downstairs and spend a half hour on the treadmill.

On the treadmill I watch TV. Going through downtown Annapolis and then walking along the water in the Naval Academy around 4:00 PM - I see Navy folks practicing on big flat green fields, running, moving fast - as well spotting silent sail boats on the bay. 

Madam: there is a difference between treadmill and macadam.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

When I walk through the gospels - as I read the New Testament - I get the sense that there was a bad bit of infighting - insider fighting - inner rock throwing - going on.

I sense that the Early Christian Communities that Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter, James dealt with - had their share of Pharisees and Scribes - just as Jesus had in his day. 

Sometimes dealing with some church folks - the complainers - the letter writers - the angry - the mind made upperers - the rigid - the non-listeners - the Law Keepers -  the I got an agenda types - I get nowhere. I get what Paul felt with Peter in today’s first reading as well as some others in the early Christian communities.  I’ve been on this treadmill before. I want to run away from them. They make me realize my agenda - I want to escape - not listen - be rigid - hide - I want to walk along the water and see Christ walking on the waters - as well as calming the sea.

So what else is new?

JESUS BRINGS THE OLD TO THE NEW

The old is ever old. Life is déjà vu. Jesus is ever new.

In the midst of the rumble and the rant of those with different positions in politics and theology - in the channeling of TV treadmill same old same old - attack after attack after attack - I close my ears - and like Jesus head for a garden or a deserted spot or the quiet mountains - in my mind - and ask Jesus the age old question voiced in today’s gospel from Luke 11:1-4 - “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples."

And I hear him say, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone 

in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

CONCLUSION

Then I get back on the treadmill and hit the macadam - and life goes on. Amen.

O+O+O+O+O+O

P.S. This is a written homily - not given in church - but only on my blog - because if spoken from the pulpit - it might sound like the shrill I can't stand from the TV box or pulpit. On a blog, in print, one can slowly reflect upon someone else's comments. Morever, it might cut down on letters of complaint about what one priest preached. Don't we all scream: "Enough already"?