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Greetings, Everyone!
What does it mean to be "a man (or woman) of unclean lips, living among people of unclean lips"? For Isaiah, conscious of his own sinfulness in the presence of the Holy One, that uncleanliness is the obstacle to speaking God's Word; it is only when one of the seraphim touches his lips with a red hot ember from the sacrificial altar that he can fulfill his calling to be a prophet, that is, to see as God sees, feel as God feels, and proclaim God's Holy Word.
Prophets have always lived among people with "unclean lips" -- people who promote false stories of prosperity, tell outright lies, or twist the Truth to their advantage, always blaming others while never accepting responsibility for their actions. "Unclean lips" are skilled at deceiving, manipulating, controlling, and even brainwashing. They spread panic and fear, bringing out the worst in those who believe their stereotypes and profiling; they offer false promises based on airy nothingness, thereby securing loyalty and devotion. They thrive on ignorance, knowing that the suppression of "facts" and the reframing of Truth into something dangerous and undesirable will build their base. And they rely on censorship, knowing that when people are too afraid to speak out, they can do whatever they want, without opposition.
As Christians, we are called to be Truth-seekers and truth-speakers; we either follow Truth or the Great Deceiver, but, like the prophet Isaiah, we cannot pledge allegiance to both camps.
Many Blessings,
Elizabeth
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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Link to Sunday Readings
After Jesus finished speaking, he said to Simon,
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."
Simon replied,
"Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing,
but at your command, I will lower the nets."
When they did this, they caught such a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.
They signaled to their partners in the other boat
to come to help them.
They came and filled both boats
so that the boats were in danger of sinking.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees, saying,
"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."
For astonishment at their catch seized him
and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee who were Simon's partners.
Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching men."
When they pulled their boats up to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11
As I reflect on the call of Isaiah and on the call of the first disciples, two things strike me: in the first place, both Isaiah and the first disciples are called to leave behind their previous lives to embrace something new; secondly, the call emerges from an encounter with the Holy One that is so extraordinary that life can never again be the same. The encounters are markedly different:
Isaiah is in the temple when he beholds God surrounded by seraphim, hears their cries of praise, and feels the smoke-filled building shake; the fishermen, in contrast, witness the presence of divine abundance in their extraordinary catch. While Isaiah's experience can only be described as numinous, the fishermen's experience is grounded in everyday reality-- fish. In both encounters, however, the response is the same for both Isaiah and Simon Peter are so keenly aware of God's glory that their own sinfulness fills them with terror. "Woe is me! I am doomed!" laments Isaiah, and Simon Peter, falling to his knees, begs Jesus to leave him. While one of the seraphim purges Isaiah's lips with an ember from the altar, burning away his iniquities, Jesus reassures Simon Peter that there is nothing to fear as a new kind of fishing awaits him.
Taken together, the First Reading and the Gospel provide a formula that seems to be present whenever God calls someone to serve.
We can sum it up this way:
- God interrupts our routines to capture our attention
- God's strategies of interruption are "tailor-made" for each individual
- God's self-revelation can be so overwhelming that we are overcome with feelings of unworthiness or inadequacy
- God provides encouragement and reassurance that we are up for the task
Our Second Reading (1 Cor 15:1-11) adds another dimension to the formula. St. Paul, called to preach the Gospel, describes himself as "the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God." However, he accepts who he was and who he has become through divine grace, acknowledging God as the source of all he has accomplished.
And how does this formula apply to us? For each of us, the answer is going to be different, but generally speaking, God seems to interrupt or disrupt our lives in one way or another. We may not behold visions, hear voices, or have clarifying dreams, but unexpected opportunities, disappointments, losses, and yearnings for "something more" are often indications that a new calling is emerging. This call is not just a whim or fleeting fancy but is something that resonates in the deepest part of ourselves, creating a sense of wonder as we play with possibilities. Sometimes, we simply know that we are the "right person" to take on a cause or project, perhaps because of training or credentials, perhaps because of our availability, material resources, or personality traits.
And sometimes, if we dare enter silence and solitude, we hear God's invitation to embrace change, along with those words of reassurance that comforted the first disciples. The wonderful thing about being called is that it allows us to connect more deeply to our sense of meaning and purpose, to lead fuller lives, and increase our faith. As "disciples in progress," we partner with the Risen Lord to transform not only ourselves but the world in which we live-- and He is always "enough" for us!
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