PARKING  PLACES,  

SEATS  IN  CHURCHES, 

HEY  I  HAVE THE MIKE 
AND  THERE’S  ONLY 

SO MUCH SPACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 12 Tuesday in Ordinary Time is, “Parking Places, Seats in Churches, Hey  I Have the Microphone and There’s Only So Much Space.”

It’s easy to say “I love you.” It’s easy to think we’re a good neighbor. It’s easy to think we’re smooth when it comes to being a Christian.

That is till the tire hits the road …. That is till someone takes our parking place…. That is till we’re trying to get into a crowded elevator or  train or bus or bathroom or our favorite seat in church…. That is till we move from words, thinking, talk or theory to reality…. That is till someone gets to microphone and won’t shut up.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s first reading triggered this thought.  The author of this section of Genesis 13: 2, 5-18 - is telling us that there were quarrels between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and those of Lot’s. There’s only so much grazing land.

What happens when two herdsmen want the same land to graze their flock?

Abram offers a compromise,  “Let’s not fight. If you want to go to the left, I’ll go to the right and vice versa.”

The history of the world is land grab - and the best land at that.

In today’s gospel - Matthew 7: 6, 12-14 - Jesus tells us his way is the narrow way. If you go the other way, it’s wider - but it will lead to destruction.

EVERY DAY

If we are alert, sharp, we’ll see the reality of thinking of others, every day.

In yesterday’s New York Times, in the Metropolitan Diary section, there is a real story about a volunteer in a Manhattan public school. She had to deal with a little boy and a little girl who were fighting over the same book.  Each claimed that they “Had it first.” Watch this same scene playing out in every playground.

The volunteer said she didn’t know what to do - till she said to the little boy, “How about ladies first?” 

Surprise! 

It worked. 

The volunteer writes that she felt good about how she handled the crisis, till, as she wrote, she had a horrible thought: "Had I just sat back the feminist movement for 50 years.”

I think of a little poem story by Carl Sandburg,

"Get off my land! 
- How come, your land? 
My father gave it to me. 
- How did he get it? 
He fought for it. 
- Well, I’ll fight you for it!"

MOVING TOWARDS A CONCLUSION

Each day we have the opportunity to be peace makers, space makers, to be like Abram - who becomes Abraham in a different language and different land place. If you want to settle your family at this picnic table, go for it. If you want to settle over there, go for it. So too the beach at Ocean City - that is if the space is open and available.

It’s simply a variation of sayings in the Sermon on the Mount: turn the other cheek or go the extra mile, follow the Golden Rule. Hey, if a person wants to sit in an aisle seat in church, step over them, or move in. They might have a small bladder or are expecting a phone call from their daughter who is expecting a baby any minute in Arkansas.

Or as the heart doctor in California, who teaches about lowering blood pressure puts it. If you see 3 lines in the bank, choose the longest one. Then when you get to the front of that line, go back and get on the longest line again. While doing that, see how many names of your high school graduation class you can remember or memorize a poem.