HOW  DOES  GOD  WORK?

  

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 17^th Sunday in  Ordinary Time [Year C]  is, “How  Does  God  Work?”

That question hit me when I read and thought about what happens in today’s first reading from the Book of Genesis 18: 20-32.

It begins with how God thinks about sin and evil in our world. God hears that there is a lot of evil going on in Sodom and Gomorrah. People are screaming to God about it. So God decides to go down and check it out.

Sure enough, it’s horrible in those 2 towns. Then God wonders whether to tell Abraham and his visitors what he’s going to do about it: God is going to destroy those towns.

So God decides to tell Abraham.

Then we have this bargaining with God by Abraham.  If there are 50 innocent people there, would you still destroy those cities?  God says “Far be it for me to destroy - if you can find me 50 innocent people down there.”

Next Abraham  goes for 45. Then 40.  Then 30. Then 20.  Then 10.

Great story telling ….

Would I be one of the 10?

Is that how God works? Is that how God thinks?

I think a lot of people think that way: that  God works that way. 

I  also think people are bargaining with God all the time.  

And whenever there is an earthquake, or hurricane, or vast  forest fires, I hear people saying and thinking God is doing this.

How does God work?

FOR THIS HOMILY

Is that enough for a homily - to just say that people are trying to bargain with God all the time and people think God zaps people - especially when they sin?  I hear people saying things like this when cancer and sickness and struggle and family stuff - comes pouring  into our lives like a storm.

I’m only on the top of page 2 of this homily,  so I assume that I better add a few more comments.

For starters I would assume we ought to look at how we think.

For starters I would also  add that it would be smart  to  ask myself, “What are my thoughts about God? How God operates?

If I were God, would I give people freedom? Then  how would I deal with the consequences of freedom? There is the possibility of evil?  How would I push goodness?

I also would think it would be wise to come up with other ways of thinking - other scenarios - other ways God could be and life could be.

Then to talk to each other about our takes on God - how God works?

Talk to each other about what we have learned about life - and how life works - how God works.

Try the 3 C’s: Compare. Clarify. Communicate.

I would think it would be wise to make lists of what we have learned so far about God and life and myself.

FOR EXAMPLE: PEOPLE THINK AND WORK DIFFERENTLY

It’s obvious, but I think we all need to state that we often think and see and work differently - and we often forget this and this gets us in trouble.

I don’t know about you, but I forget that - lots of times.

50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10 people all see the same movie  - surprise we all see it differently. 

We’re watching a baseball game.  It was a strike. No the pitch was way outside. It was a ball.  Safe. Out. Fair ball. Foul ball.  Let’s go to the video tape.

I think realizing this - stating this -  will give us a lot more peace with each other.

FOR EXAMPLE: TEACH THY TONGUE TO SAY I DON’T KNOW

Somewhere along the line I learned to say, “Teach thy tongue to say, ‘I don’t know.’”

It’s from the Talmud - a collection of Jewish writings.

“Teach thy tongue to say, “I don’t know.”

We don’t. I think that’s a great wisdom statement - and the older I get, the more I say it.

I think happy people can say, “I don’t know.”

FOR EXAMPLE:  TO REALIZE WE DO DIFFERENTLY

If anyone should know that people think and do differently it’s married folks.

A couple I know have the following scenario every time they go out to eat at a restaurant.  She always asks for different - something different from what’s on the menu.  I’ve seen her do this every time I’ve been with them.

Most of the time the waiter or waitress says, “No problem!” and they jot something down on their pad.

And it works.

Another couple I know do the following.  The wife tells me she found out a long time ago what his favorite part of any meal is. He cuts a piece of meat or fish or something and puts it off to the side and that’s the last thing he eats.

Yum. Yum.

She learned by watching what he’s thinking and doing.

When it comes to God, do we want God to be different? 

Do we want  the menu, the day, the relationship, life, to go differently than it goes?  Do we get our way?  When we don’t,   what happens next?  Are some people satisfied with whatever comes out of the kitchen and are some people different - and some never  satisfied?

Do we have a say? What’s our favorite part of life?  What do we love?  Do we tell each other? Do we thank each other?

CHANGE

Now I better give something better than that in this homily.

I think of Jack Nicholson - as Lt. Colonel Nathan R. Jessup  -  in the movie, “A Few Good Men” as he says  to Tom Cruise - who plays the part of a JAG officer, Daniel Kaffee. “Don’t tell  me that’s all you got?  Don’t tell me you dragged me all the way up here for just this?  Tell me there’s more.”

Many times when giving a homily I wonder if everyone is saying just that: “Don’t tell  me that’s all you got?  Don’t tell me you dragged me all the way up here for just this?  Tell me there’s more.”

There is. We have today’s gospel: Luke 11: 1-13.

Today’s gospel teaches me that we can change our thoughts about how God is and we can also change ourselves. We can also become more like God.

So  that brings us to today’s gospel - where Jesus tells us what God our Father is like.

First of all Jesus  tells us God is Our Father - and then he tells us how a good father works. Isn’t that the title of my homily?

God gives daily bread. Get it. Work for it. Find it. Take and enjoy daily bread.

My sister Mary told me that she often sat down in the afternoon with my mom - after my mom  got home from work. She would watch my mother take a whole loaf of fresh - still warm - rye bread out of a bag from the Neighbor Bakery. That was the bakery’s actual  name. She would  get out of the refrigerator cold butter. She would - cut the bread - it was not pre-sliced. Then on went cold butter. Hot tea was also part of the ritual.

My mom  loved this ritual - late afternoon - but before supper. She and my sister would be enjoying  the daily bread of life together.

So there’s a great message right there on how God works: God wants us to enjoy the daily bread of life.  

At the beginning of each day to say: Our Father help me to enjoy the daily bread of today.

At the end of each day to look back and say, “Thank you for the daily bread of what I ate and experienced today.

Next God is a forgiver.  If we have gripes against each other, we won’t enjoy  breaking bread with each other.

Sounds like the Mass to me?

Sounds like good moments - like eating together - to me.

Next, if you don’t have bread or forgiveness, get off your butt and start asking, knocking, sharing, giving each other what we hope the other can give us.

CONCLUSION

I think that’s enough. 5 pages. 10 minute homily.  Amen.