January 17, 2019

HARD  AND  SOFT

INTRODUCTION

A thought for today - this First Thursday in Ordinary Time.

Today’s first reading [Hebrews 3: 7-14]  and today’s Psalm response [Psalm 95] uses a word that hit me like getting hit in the head with a rock. “Today if you hear the word of the Lord, harden not your hearts.”

What struck me is the word, “Hard”.

The author of Hebrews tells us two times not to be hard hearted or hard headed  - but to be open.

The Psalm response tells us not to be hard.

Well, what hit me about the word “hard” is that the scriptures also tell us to be hard, be strong, be like rock.

So I guess it all depends. That’s my thought for the day.

MESSAGES

I suppose the scriptures are telling us that there are times when we better not be a stiff, better not be hard hearted, better not be hard headed.

I suppose the scriptures are telling us that there are many situations in life when we better be flexible, warm, movable, changeable, changing our plans.

TWO SONGS

We can still catch on the radio Simon and Garfunkle’s song, “I am a rock. I am an island...” the song of someone who is just that, all alone, unable to be reached.

And Mary Chapin Carpenter sings, “Have a little heart” in one of her songs.

MANY SITUATIONS

How many times in life have we been in situations where someone says, “Have a heart!” Meaning, translation: “Be compassionate. Stop. Change. Help!”

Jeremia the prophet, Isaiah the prophet, Ezechiel the prophet, Moses the prophet, all the prophets were always asking the people to change their hearts.

Jesus is always going after the Pharisees for being stiffs, unlovable dead skeletons of persons, inflexible, and unwilling to stop and help their brother or sister who might be stuck.

BUT

But the scriptures also present the opposite -- the call to be strong.

The scriptures present God not just as wind or a gentle breeze, but also as a mountain and a mighty fortress is our God.

IT ALL DEPENDS

So it all depends

CONCLUSION

That’s my thought for the day. Sometimes you have to be soft and sometimes you have to be hard. It all depends.

Sometimes you have to be a wall; sometimes you have to be a door.

It all depends. I guess we all have to do what Jesus did. He healed the man in today’s gospel, but he told him to keep quiet about it. When the man started broadcasting it, Jesus had to hide.

So it all depends. And I suppose it’s in quiet places where we can figure out which way to go, what position to take: rock or wind.