MURMUR, MUMBLE,
GRUMBLE, GRIPE
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily for this 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, is, “Murmur, Mumble, Grumble, Gripe.”
It’s a theme that was triggered from right there in the first sentence in today’s first reading from Exodus. “The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.”
The people are steamed. The people are screaming, “Why did you drag us out of Egypt? We’re starving. Here we are stuck in the desert - without food - without water.”
Murmuring, mumbling, grumbling were something Moses as well as Christ had to deal with. Don’t we all? And don’t we ourselves at times murmur, mumble, grumble, gripe - then snipe and become walking grudges as we walk down the street and into the rooms and situations we experience each day?
A BASIC QUESTION
Could something in a sermon about murmuring, mumbling, grumbling, griping, challenge us - challenge us enough to want to change - if we’re in that space and in that place too, too often?
Others might be inwardly screaming at us, “Enough already! Get over it!” But they patiently put up with us and put a smile on their face.
ANSWER
I don’t know about you, but I’d be interested in what could be said about this theme of: Murmuring, Mumbling, Grumbling and Griping. Sounds like a law firm, doesn't it?
I’d want to hear something helpful - interesting - insightful - intriguing - new - something with a grab - something challenging.
Now that’s a challenge.
SOME OBSERVATIONS
The first observation would be the movement of the tongue.
I once heard in a talk by Alan Watts that the tongue is always moving - even when we’re not talking - always ever slightly. It’s moving. He said our tongue is moving whenever we are thinking.
I didn’t know that. I still don’t know if it’s true, but it’s a fascinating observation.
For 30 years now, it’s something I’ve been wondering if it’s true. Sometimes when I think about that, I try to feel or sense - IS my tongue moving?
So for starters I make that comment about the moving tongue from my moving tongue.
If it’s true - or if at least our mind is always moving - always thinking - inwardly agreeing - disagreeing - always trying to figure out what someone just said, then a clear wondering should be: “What am I talking to myself about most of the time?”
If it’s mostly complaining, griping, grumbling, mumbling, murmuring, then we might need to get over it - or bite our tongue or shut up with the complaining - even to ourselves. We don’t want to say that to someone who is always whining. However, we can face ourselves. If we’re always inwardly complaining, think: “Enough already!”
My next observation would be a list. Does anyone have a list of the top 10 things people mumble about?
I would guess # 1 would be the complaining that goes on when I don’t get my way.
I would guess another key issue would be politics and positions on different issues.
Another would be the weather - complaining that it’s too hot outside and too cold inside - and vice versa in January.
Other issues might be traffic, litter, noise, parking, sermons, slow service in restaurants, people getting up and down in the seats in front of us in a movie or a play or a game. Where do people keep going? It can’t always be the bathroom. I wonder if it’s for a smoke or for a phone call or for what?
Is my tongue moving as I’m thinking about all this?
So, are there 10 top inward complaints? Are there 3 top inward complaints? Is there a # 1 inward talk show I’m always watching?
If I had to make a guess, I’d guess it’s either wanting my way or it would be the fairness issue, For starters I’ve heard kids who don’t get their way complaining over and over again, “It’s not fair. It’s not fair.”
Are there adults who are screaming that forever? “It’s not fair.”
I haven’t listened to kids enough for a while - but I used to think that kids were also always yelling, “Look at me! Look at what I made! Look at what I can do!”
Are we all yelling inwardly to the world, “Look at me! This is what I can do? Look at my car! Look at my house! Look at my kids! Look at my salary! Look at my figure!”
Somewhere along the line I was in a playground with one of my nieces and there were a lot of Latino kids on the rides and I began hearing the word, “Mira!" "Mira!” “Look! Look at me!” Are we too all screaming that with our tongues - loudly or silently - our tongue always moving? Do we all want everyone to be for us a big mirror - mirror - so we can see ourselves?
Is that the number one inner murmur and mumble? Look at me!
Or is the number one inner gripe and grumble: resentments and regrets?
Want a good conversation starter? Ask each other: any resentments? Any regrets?
I have to think about all this a bit more. This is just a homily I began working on last night.
Reflecting on resentment and regret, at first glance I would think the difference between them would be that regrets are deeper and more ingrained. I regret I never finished my degree. I regret I didn’t marry him or her? I regret I dropped out of the marines or didn’t take that job when I was offered it. I regret. I regret. I regret. Fill in the blank ________.
At first glance I would think resentments bring in others or another - while regrets are more about ourselves.
I resent a specific teacher or parent who told me I never would make it as a lawyer or a doctor or an athlete. I resent that clique - that gang - in high school who gave me that nickname and I never lived it down.
I’ve heard about priests who didn’t get picked to be a professor - and as a result they became a complainer and a sour face all their lives. I wanted to go to Brazil and never got assigned to the foreign missions so I heard that comment loud and clear.
IS IT I, LORD?
One Bible text that I often use is from Judas. At the last supper when Jesus said that one of the disciples would betray him, Judas asked, “Is it I Lord?” Jesus answered, “You have said it.” [Cf. Matthew 26:25]
When I hear people murmuring, mumbling, grumbling and griping - when I hear people sniping and walking around with what looks like a grudge on their face or back, I sometimes think, “Is it I, Lord?” When I say that to myself, does Jesus say, “You have said it! You’re it!”
The Book of Exodus has Moses calling on the Lord for help with all the grumbling going on. He tells the people where to find food and water - but they complained about that as well.
The Gospel of John, Chapter 6, has Jesus providing bread and fish - and then the deeper bread - the Bread of Life - himself - but in the end most walked away from him. Is it I Lord? Is it I, Lord?
We’re here, because we believe Jesus gives us the both the Bread of Life and the Words of Life - to incorporate them into our way of thinking and being.
Isn't that the Mass? Isn't that every meal: words and food?
Take Jesus' words. Someone drives us crazy. There’s one in every situation. Jesus gives us words on how to deal with craziness and complaining. Turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile. Go underneath. Love one another as I have loved you. Don’t throw rocks. Die to self, so others can rise.
And surprise - in the long run - when we practice that kind of love, the other, the person who breaks our spirit or our back - changes. And sometimes they come to us and say, “Thank you for the patience and the support you gave me back then - when I was falling apart - and everyone was going crazy with me - you didn’t. Thank you."
And at that moment we discover that Jesus' way to do life is THE way to live life.
Life can be tough at times. We might have said 100 times about an alcoholic or a kid on drugs - what Jesus said from the cross, “Father forgive him for he does know what he is doing.”
Surprise! There is a sunrise. There is a new day. There is an Easter Sunday Morning Moment. It might take 12 steps. It might take 12,000 steps repeated, but the other recovers. It's then we experience what Jesus was about: Resurrection and Recovery.
CONCLUSION
I need to conclude this somehow. Here’s 2 ways:
First way - words: to ask myself - "If I could put a microphone or a stereoscope on my skull and listen in on my inner ongoing everyday conversations, would I hear a lot of growling and grumbling inside me or would I hear the howl of laughter - that I’m filled with great gratitude to God and my parents for giving me the gift of life and all that has happened to me so far?"
Second way - bread: when we take Jesus in our hands and place him on our tongue or the Eucharistic Minister does that - why not ask Jesus to feed us with his life, his Spirit, his way of being? And then, when we digest Jesus from our tongue which never seems to stop moving and bring him into our body, into our being, we need to really hear Jesus say what he said at the end of today’s Gospel, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
