Those of us who gather between services to
discuss the day’s Lectionary readings always seem to find depth and wisdom in
the Collect of the Day. We have a way of
allowing it to ask questions of us and this always takes us to interesting
places. Today’s collect is no
different. I love its first petition:
“Increase in us the gifts of faith, hope and charity”. Simple and straight forward, right? Notice what the prayer asserts: faith, hope,
and charity are not something we muster in and of ourselves. They are gifts from God and apparently they can
grow and develop throughout our lives.
Conversely, it seems possible they can atrophy if not used or diminish
if left unattended for a long, long time.
Here is a question to ponder: if we ask
God to increase the gifts of faith, hope, and charity in us, how does God
answer our prayer. Is it like a software
update? Is our prayer similar to
clicking on a button, accepting the terms and conditions, and then having
something new and more glorious operating in us – faith, hope, and charity
7.0? Do we pray and then be passive
until what we ask for is installed in us?
I don’t think so. In my experience, the gifts of faith, hope,
and charity increase in us when we are challenged and stretched and (often
times) brought up short. Reflection,
confession, and amendment of life is often the process required for true
growth.
So it was when I found myself in the
rural, wooded countryside of Spain ten days ago walking the English Way of the
Camino – an ancient pilgrim’s path to the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de
Compostela. In front of me was a dirt
path on a very step uphill grade rising up approximately ¼ of a mile or more. A woman stood at the beginning of the grade,
appearing apprehensive about making the climb.
She was a large woman with the body shape and looks of an East German
shot-put Olympian. She had elastic sleeves
on her knees and clearly had been struggling.
The challenge before her was daunting.
Then, from behind, an attractive young
woman riding a mountain bike approached.
Now, if you know me, you know I am a big fan of mountain bikes… and
attractive women. Up the hill she pedaled
in the highest gear ratio her bike offered.
Up the hill I walked in pursuit.
Much of the trail had been washed out making it difficult to bike. Up ahead I could see her struggling. Finally she got off her bike and walked it to
the level summit. She was still breathing
hard when I made it there. Winded, I too
stopped to catch my breath. We did not
speak the same language but managed to communicate a little. I indicated I ride a mountain bike as
well. She said of the hill “Too steep
for me.”
Soon she was off and riding again and I
was ready to continue walking. I glanced
down the hill and did not see any sign of the woman at the bottom. She still had not yet mustered the energy or
the courage to begin the climb.
I began to walk and as I walked I thought about the
woman down the hill. Should I have
offered to walk with her? Perhaps some
encouragement and companionship was all she needed. Why, I wondered, did I respond so positively
to the youthful, athletic, attractive woman and so indifferently to the one who
was unattractive? Why does physical
beauty trump spiritual beauty? I don’t
have a highly developed theology of the Christian doctrine of resurrection of
the body, but I suspect once we die physical beauty will be no more. All that will be left is spiritual
beauty. Perhaps the stocky woman one day
will be a soul-beauty queen in heaven. As
I walked I began to ponder the beauty, or lack thereof, of my soul. How attractive or how ugly will I be in the
next life?
Today’s readings invite us to ask what God requires
and expects of us. The Pharisee in
Jesus’ parable manifests all the outward signs of religion – prayer, fasting,
tithing. He is by the standard of
institutional religion a “beautiful” person, and he knows it. The only problem is all the outer beauty
cannot mask his inner, spiritual ugliness.
The reading from Sirach describes the integrity necessary to make an
offering to God and what is required to come before God with a prayer. A certain posture of heart and spirit is
absolutely essential. The psalm
describes to joy of making a pilgrimage to God’s house. The desire to dwell in the Temple – to be in
the physical place where God lives – certainly is pleasing to God. Paul’s letter to Timothy describes his
faithfulness as he endures persecution for his religious beliefs.
What is the one thing God asks of each one of us? What is the one thing God requires of
you? As I walked on the Camino I asked
myself this question and here is the answer I came up with: All God asks of each one of us is to make it your
mission in life to make your soul beautiful.
As with the prayer for faith, hope, and charity, the
opportunity to make our souls more and more beautiful comes to us over and over
again. And, as with my pursuit of the
mountain biker as opposed to helping the woman at the bottom of the hill, often
times the moment passes us by and is lost forever.
What makes a soul beautiful? I think it involves a certain desire for God. It looks like growing in reverence,
gratitude, and humility. It involves a
sense of awe and wonder and joy in all God’s works. If you are bored in church it may be because
your church is boring. But still, you
are sitting in the presence of the Holy One and if you believe this with even
1% of your heart, mind, and soul you will never be bored by the opportunity to
praise God and to worship God.
As we were leaving the Cathedral in Santiago after the
Pilgrim’s Mass, we encountered sporadic cheering and applause outside the
transept door. John, our English guide,
blurted out, “Oh my God, it’s the king.
It’s King Juan Carlos of Spain.”
He was 25 feet away and walking right toward us. John’s entire nature changed in an instance
as he was overcome with a severe case of “royal fever” – trailing after the
king like a star struck zombie. He was
in absolute awe. Every time we step into
this space we are entering the presence of Royalty. Our heavenly King dwells here. Like the hymn says, this is a time to be
“lost in wonder, love, and praise.” A
beautiful soul knows this.
What makes a soul beautiful? I believe it also involves a certain
disposition toward other people. Kindness,
compassion, generosity, selflessness, thoughtfulness, gentleness, humility, and
respect – not just for some people, but for all. We’re talking about behaving exactly the
opposite of what we have witnessed in the Presidential Debates. I believe people desire to cultivate a
beautiful soul because so many of us are so repulsed by the behavior of the
candidates. Unlike what we see in some
of the hard-core supporters of one candidate or another, more and more I am
noticing how everyday people in and around Suffolk are consistently kind and
considerate. I think people are making a
conscious choice to renounce the ugliness typifying this political season in
order to embrace something more beautiful.
How, when, where, and to whom can you exhibit the
marks of a beautiful soul? The more you
do it the more natural it becomes and the more natural it becomes the more
beautiful your soul becomes.
