Beyond Our Limited Vision
While praying on today’s scriptures there have been a few words which keep flashing through my heart and mind: faith, hope, and belief. To me these ideas start in the scripture reading from Exodus. It amazes me that the Israelites who have been freed would allow their thoughts and actions to revert back to the bondage of sin (or slavery); even after God had guided Moses to lead them to freedom. Their faith in the creator of all things (the Great I AM) is challenged because they can’t see beyond their limited vision.
Jesus mentions the ability to see in today’s Gospel when he references John the Baptizer and how important the message of faith and belief were which John taught. John, “testified to the truth… and was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light”(John 5:33a-36). Without light to illuminate our way we can become weighed down and lost in the dark.
I bet, we each encounter these challenges in various ways when we close ourselves up to others and don’t love as we are loved. When we close ourselves up to only seeing the limited vision which is before us, challenges come our way. This morning my four-year-old was having a challenge in his own way: he was truly upset and hurt because his sister was taking him to school; not his mom. Now this is not usually an issue, but today was the “wrong” day for this to transpire, and he was wanting nothing to do with it. So he made sure that each member of the Knight house knew of his dislike for the change set before him.
Change is hard, and when challenged with it, what we think we know and what we believe oftentimes get unclear and convoluted. I feel like at these times in my life it’s essential to listen to the call of God, pray and reflect through it, and then truly give it over to the Father. Reflecting on John’s Gospel we see instances where those hearing Jesus message of love and belief were not happy to be hearing, but why? Was it because they thought they knew more? Was it hardness of heart? When we hear God’s call, how do we respond? I’d like to say I say yes and go out to live it, but in truth it takes us all loving and serving each other for it to transpire.
Here over the last few days our Gospel readings have come from the 5th chapter of John, we have heard the wisdom of Jesus as he challenges those who felt they knew more than most. The people are struggling, and challenged by the message of mercy, belief, and love which Jesus is speaking to about. In truth I know it challenges me on a regular basis. The call Jesus is setting before each of us is such an amazing beautiful thing. If we will allow it to permeate our beings it will lead us on the beautiful path of faith, hope, and charity; the path which God the father desires for us all to have.
We are now into the 4th week of our Lenten journey; maybe we should reflect on how it has been so far and ask: how am I growing? If we aren’t sure then ask why. It’s not easy to change and often it actually takes time beyond just 40 days, but if we are open to God’s call and allow him to fill our hearts then we can become the individual he has called and created from the beginning. The one he called and created when he “knit (us) in our mother’s womb”(Psalm 139:13b) and by living this life we can become his instrument of love.
When we truly love, we truly begin to become more like God is guiding us to be. St. Augustine taught that the upright act rightly, and this is good, but if we truly desire to grow in a deeper communion with God and one another then we might ask for more. Augustine believed in order to grow into a deeper relationship with God the Father we should, “ask God for something better, ask God for something more: ask God for God”(St. Augustine, Sermons, 311).
As I am reflecting on this; I ask God to guide my heart and lead me to love. For it’s in the loving of others we can each grow in our faith, hope, and belief in God our father.
Author: Dcn. Chris Knight, English Department, Campus Ministry Team
I bet, we each encounter these challenges in various ways when we close ourselves up to others and don’t love as we are loved. When we close ourselves up to only seeing the limited vision which is before us, challenges come our way. This morning my four-year-old was having a challenge in his own way: he was truly upset and hurt because his sister was taking him to school; not his mom. Now this is not usually an issue, but today was the “wrong” day for this to transpire, and he was wanting nothing to do with it. So he made sure that each member of the Knight house knew of his dislike for the change set before him.
Change is hard, and when challenged with it, what we think we know and what we believe oftentimes get unclear and convoluted. I feel like at these times in my life it’s essential to listen to the call of God, pray and reflect through it, and then truly give it over to the Father. Reflecting on John’s Gospel we see instances where those hearing Jesus message of love and belief were not happy to be hearing, but why? Was it because they thought they knew more? Was it hardness of heart? When we hear God’s call, how do we respond? I’d like to say I say yes and go out to live it, but in truth it takes us all loving and serving each other for it to transpire.
Here over the last few days our Gospel readings have come from the 5th chapter of John, we have heard the wisdom of Jesus as he challenges those who felt they knew more than most. The people are struggling, and challenged by the message of mercy, belief, and love which Jesus is speaking to about. In truth I know it challenges me on a regular basis. The call Jesus is setting before each of us is such an amazing beautiful thing. If we will allow it to permeate our beings it will lead us on the beautiful path of faith, hope, and charity; the path which God the father desires for us all to have.
We are now into the 4th week of our Lenten journey; maybe we should reflect on how it has been so far and ask: how am I growing? If we aren’t sure then ask why. It’s not easy to change and often it actually takes time beyond just 40 days, but if we are open to God’s call and allow him to fill our hearts then we can become the individual he has called and created from the beginning. The one he called and created when he “knit (us) in our mother’s womb”(Psalm 139:13b) and by living this life we can become his instrument of love.
When we truly love, we truly begin to become more like God is guiding us to be. St. Augustine taught that the upright act rightly, and this is good, but if we truly desire to grow in a deeper communion with God and one another then we might ask for more. Augustine believed in order to grow into a deeper relationship with God the Father we should, “ask God for something better, ask God for something more: ask God for God”(St. Augustine, Sermons, 311).
As I am reflecting on this; I ask God to guide my heart and lead me to love. For it’s in the loving of others we can each grow in our faith, hope, and belief in God our father.
Author: Dcn. Chris Knight, English Department, Campus Ministry Team
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