Weighing on the side of the Light

In today's Gospel reading, Jonah, Nineveh, Solomon, and the Queen of the South reflect the heart of God’s call to change. God’s call sent a reluctant prophet to a place outside of his experience, his homeland, to people unknown. There, in Nineveh, in a city filled with others, Jonah brings a warning of death and destruction if the people fail to change their ways. In Luke, Jesus reminds the crowd that failure to change, to turn away from evil will bring the wrath of God as the “Son of Man will be as Jonah to the Ninevites.” Jesus also provides hope in the actions of the Nineveh King, of Solomon, and the Queen of the South. Imperfect, sinful, selfish human beings given as role models for change. Jesus points to role models both male and female, both Israelite and other.          

Humanity's current challenges are vastly different and eerily the same from that of the Israelites. Our intemperate natures struggle with temptation. We desire to belong, and often make choices based on that desire. Those who are outside of the established 'cultural norms' of society face ostracization and persecution. History provides many examples of what happens when we allow a belief in the wickedness of the other to run unchecked: the creation of a Reservation system for Native Americans, slavery, the Holocaust, the murders of James Byrd and Matthew Shepherd show that as a society and individuals we are susceptible to sin. However, our collective and individual response to such atrocities weighs on the side of the light because we are called by God to change, to be counter-cultural and to find our role models both within our communities and those outside of them. We bring change, and change must be continual. God's call is dynamic.         

Pope Francis has spoken eloquently and frequently on the social sins of the world. As Christians, he challenges us to find ways to build bridges, to care for the other, to find ways to bring our social institutions into parity with the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching. Pope Francis calls all people into participation in creating a new way of living, a way which heralds God's call from the time of Jonah.         

Lent provides a time for individual growth, a time of metanoia. In that changing look to yourself for your best response and answer God's call to bring light to the world in the spirit of Jonah.

Author: Michele Elchlepp, Co-chair Theology Department