Sirach 36:18-27: Choosing Associates
Sunday, October 20, 2019
He calls from the heavens and the earth from above to witness the judgment of his people. “Gather before me my loyal followers, those who have made a covenant with me and sealed it with sacrifice”. Let the heavens declare the righteous cause; for God himself is judge. Psalm 50:4-6
The mark of a solid associate is one who will sacrifice self in order to seal the covenant promise with God. We are not called to submit to abuse, but rather . . . to witness to that which is indifferent, self-serving, deceitful. We are asked to build bridges to one another, to be open to one another, to form community with one another in trust, fidelity and prudent stewardship of ourselves and our resources. To do this well, it is best to choose associates who are open, worthy of trust, and who witness to the values brought to us by Jesus in his Gospel story. At the same time as we gather those around us who think in like manner, we are also called to be open to the possibility that redemption and salvation nearly always comes through sacrifice, through suffering – particularly when this pain is offered for the conversion of those who have harmed us.
The Prayer Appointed for the Week from THE DIVINE HOURS: PRAYERS FOR SUMMERTIME by Phyllis Tickle is useful as night falls and we turn toward home. Grant me, O Lord, to trust in you with all my heart; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Trusting in God to speak to us in the hushed depths of our hearts empowers us to wait in quiet and in patience until God speaks the words we must hear. We also know that Sin speaks to the sinner in the depths of his heart. There is no fear before God in his eyes. He so flatters himself in his mind that he knows not his guilt. In his mouth are mischief and deceit. All wisdom is gone. He plots the defeat of goodness as he lies on his bed. He has set his foot on evil ways, he clings to what is evil. Your love, Lord, reached to heaven; your truth to the skies. Your justice is like is like God’s mountain, your judgment like the deep. (Psalm 36).
Whether we are the sinner or the victim, God knows the path to our heart. Whether we are betrayer or betrayed, God knows the words that will call us home. When we find ourselves in deep water, it is best to become a diver . . . to explore our own depths, calling on God to reveal his truth to us in a way that we can take it in.
I believe that many of us shrink from our deepest consciousness and that this is evidenced in our addictions to too much television, too much internet, too much food, too much narcissism. So often I hear the phrase, “I just don’t want to go there”. But no matter how much we avoid our own path of conversion, God will seek us out. Jesus ben Sirach instructs us that a deceitful character causes grief, but an experienced man may turn the tables on him. For my part, when confronted with deceit, I find it best to rely on God’s judgment and wisdom . . . he has far more experience than I. On God’s wisdom I wait. For God’s patience I pray. In God’s love I trust. Amen.
Written on September 07, 2008 and posted today as a Favorite.
Images from: https://me.me/i/hold-onto-good-friends-they-are-fe-w-and-far-4085896 and http://www.eagle-divers.com/scuba-news/item/is-there-a-best-time-to-visit-the-red-sea-for-diving
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