DEUTERONOMY 30: 15-20 

CHOOSING  LIFE  OR DEATH  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Thursday after Ash Wednesday is, “Deuteronomy 30: 15-20: Choosing Life or Death.”

I’ve never been a Biblical Name and Number Dropper - but Deuteronomy 30: 15-20 is a good text to know and easy to remember.

Moses lines up all the people and says, “Take a good look what is right in front of you. This stuff over here will give you death and doom and destruction. This stuff over here will bring you life and blessing. Obviously, choose what gives life - not the stuff that can kill you.”

GEORGE WALD

I once spotted a discarded audio tape with a talk by a Harvard biology professor: George Wald.

George was born in Brooklyn - from Jewish parents - who came to America from Europe way back in the early 1900’s. 

He was in the first graduating class from Brooklyn Tech - a high school most kids from Brooklyn know was one great school. He went to NYU, Columbia, and various other schools in both the United States and Europe.

In other words he got a great education. For starters, that's one great way to choose life.

In the audio tape  talk he said his favorite text in the Bible was today’s first reading about how God sets before us both life and death. Therefore choose life.

George Wald did great work and research on the human eye - specifically the retina - and stressed the importance of vitamins.

I looked his biography and life stuff on Google and found out he certainly was for life - not destruction.

INNER EYE

He was off on inner seeing as well.

He thought we in the United States spend too much money, time and effort on how to kill better and better. He was early on against the Vietnam War and each battle the United States got interested in after that.

Many of us grew up seeing these battles going on in politics, newspapers, TV, etc. etc. etc. all through the 1900’s - the last century.

One of the benefits of being 76 years old is the ability to say what we think.

It took me a while to form my attitudes about what George Wald and so many so called “Lefties” and “Liberals” are saying.

I know people are pretty much stuck in their ways of thinking and seeing - about all this -  and politicians work to get their votes on these issues.

TODAY'S GOSPEL

Now to choose life isn't easy. Hello. It calls for sacrifice - dying to self. That's exactly what today's gospel is saying: that very message from Jesus. [Confer Luke 9: 22-25]

I would assume that's the key reason why we don't choose life - but death. It's laziness - the avoidance of tough love - it's the avoidance of hard work - not wanting to die to self - that is at the heart of why folks choose death.

CONCLUSION: BE SMART AND LIFE GIVING TODAY

The title of my homily is, “Deuteronomy 30: 15-20: Choosing Life or Death.”

I want to urge looking at this topic and theme not just when considering abortions - but at the whole run of life - building walls to block our immigrants, carpet bomb Muslims, etc. etc. etc.

In the pulpit, I try to avoid using the pulpit as a bully pulpit.

It’s my experience that people don’t hear anything else once the speaker or the preacher says the buzz words.

So I rather avoid the political stage and try to understand what Jesus was saying when he said, “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.”

I rather reflect upon everyday decisions we all have to choose life or death.

By this I would mean eating right, walking, talking right - avoiding killer comments, gossip and all that.

I would rather look at this day - all that’s going to be right in front of me and decide: “Today I want to choose life. Today I want to be kind. Today I want to compliment people.”

For me being a Diabetic - second type - I simply have avoid  cookies and pie today - and walk and exercise. Amen.