FROM  A  DISTANCE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this first Monday in Advent is, “From A Distance.”

That’s the thought that hit me when I read today’s gospel [ Matthew 8: 5-11].

The centurion asks Jesus to cure his servant from a distance.

He tells Jesus, “You don’t have to enter under my roof, just do it from here.”

And Jesus - after telling everyone around him - that this guy has great faith - the best he’s seen so far - good thing his mother was not around to hear that -  Jesus heals this man’s servant from a distance. It’s not mentioned in today’s gospel what happened next - maybe because the next sentence has one of those being turned out into the dark where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth [Matthew 8: 12.] But Matthew says, “And the servant was cured at that moment.”

I added, “From a distance.”

INTERESTING

I began thinking about that.

I don’t have time to do research - to find out if we humans are the only ones - besides those above us, “angels and God” - who are able to fathom “from a distance”.

I don’t know about cat and dog memories and brains.  Elephants are supposed to have great memories, but I haven’t seen anyone walking a pet elephant on their front lawn. Smile they don’t make plastic bags that big. Oooooh. Horrible thought. So I don’t know what elephants or dogs or cats or laboratory rat brains can do from a distance.

We see on the evening news at times - feel good  stories about dogs remembering their masters and mistresses when years separate them.

So I better not make comments about “animals and distances”.

Yet we humans - have a whole world of “from a distance” - thinking about and praying for sons and daughters away at college - in Afghanistan - or in San Diego - worrying about their lives or their marriages.

We spend a good bit of time talking to and about people in other rooms and in other parts of the country - all from a distance.

Faith can move mountains - so we pray for all kinds of people and intentions  - alive and dead people - from a distance.

Are we the only ones who can do that?

That’s a question this text triggered.

SONG

There is a song that Bette Midler sang - and I’ve heard it at funerals etc., “From a Distance.”

That song voices concerns about hope and harmony, no guns or bombs - no disease or “No hungry mouths to feed.”

O would that….

The song mentions  God watching us “from a distance”. 

Now that’s an act of faith.

That makes us different than animals.

That’s the faith this centurion had.

CONCLUSION: YET

I could go on and on, but let me make one major conclusion.

First of all, it’s at the reality of from a distance compared to up close where we can get into big trouble. From a distance - is where we have our expectations - our pictures - our imaginings of what an ideal family, spouse, kid, other is. Then when we compare that to what we actually experience  under our roof, it’s there that we go bananas and berserk,

Next, it’s in the up close - in the place where the tire hits the road - that we have to work - sweat - and struggle to bring about what we hope for from a distance. Yes love exists from a distance - but up close is where the words become flesh.

Yet we humans also want a faith that brings people together under roofs - a faith that  gets people to approach each other - because faith that doesn’t show up with love up close - under roofs - is not faith.  Faith is up close  - in close to body and soul of others - isn’t love.