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The other night I went for a walk after dinner at about 8:00, a little later than usual. It was a struggle to get out the door. It had been a hectic week, and with all that was going on in the country, I was feeling down. I invited the dog, but she rejected the invitation. She is the only dog I know who buries her head when the word “walk” comes up. She prefers her cozy corner on the couch to the adventures of the neighborhood.
So I took off alone, not highly motivated for exercise. At the corner, I took a turn onto a street that would not allow me to go back into the neighborhood for a few blocks, but it seemed the only way to ensure the walk lasted more than ten minutes.
Rounding the corner a stunning sunset came into view. It was breathtaking. The sky was streaked with pink, purple and orange. All alone on the road I laughed out loud and thanked God for what I was witnessing. It was one of those rare moments of unexpected joy. The beauty filling the sky had to be from the Creator, and that calmed and rejuvenated my anxious spirit.
The readings today speak of discipline, sharing the good news and recognizing that reaching heaven calls for intention. We heard the American president refer to heaven this past week as he wondered if he would make it. It is a question we all ponder at some point.
Perhaps heaven is a choice, and each of us will make it, one way or another, as our God is of love, the best parent we can imagine. Loving, forgiving and welcoming back. This does not give us carte blanche to lie, cheat, or steal. It does not give us a pass on treating others with contempt. It does, however, allow us to keep trying to live with the two greatest commandments Jesus left us: love God, love one another.
Just as it takes discipline to take that evening walk, it takes discipline to reach out to others in kindness, to stand up when we see injustice and to set aside time for prayer so we remember where the beauty in our lives comes from. Our instincts are to protect and preserve our ways, but Jesus calls us to think alternately. He calls us to look around and engage in good works, purposely putting our own needs aside at times for the good of others.
He turns our conventional wisdom upside down telling us today that the powerful, the mighty, those who appear to have it all among us will stand aside as the least among us enter heaven. If you visualize this scene and ask yourself which line you would be in, it becomes even more powerful.
Peace,
Anne
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