Preferences: I did it my way

John 3:1-15

             I think I know a little bit about  being set in one's ways. Not crotchety mind you, but we all have our way of doing things. Even if we recognize in our wisdom that there are many ways to do something, we still have our own way. We may even joke that there are many ways to do something and then there is the correct way, my way! So I am sure it would not take much of an imagination to think of what happened when two 50ish men (my husband and I)  met and decided to set up housekeeping together. Perhaps in some cases it would seem better suited as a comedy like The Odd Couple. It's a good thing for us that each of knows the magnitude of the graces we have in each other. Finding each other at our age is priceless and a true gift from God not to be wasted on the likes of such trivialities as how things get done. The joy is living life together, not in the minutia.

             So in this passage today, Jesus says to Nicodemus ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Jesus is incredulous that this man of faith doesn't get the real message. Nicodemus is what we think of as a typical Pharisee, more concerned with the law that with the message. No matter who we are though and in whatever situation, religious, secular, at home or on the road, we all have our little preferences. Each religion has 'their' preferences, interpretations of scripture and of course it is the 'correct' interpretation.  We really do get hung up on some of this stuff.  The extent to which it obscures the actual message is what Jesus was speaking of. 

           So you claim you are a Christian? So how is it that you can turn away children at your border?  You claim to be religious, people of God, how is it that you can use Gods very name as the basis for killing, firing missiles, Jihad, revenge, Inquisitions and vile hate speech? I can see Jesus scratching his head and I can see God crying at such nonsense.

            What is the message? What is it that we are supposed to get from all our Scripture study, prayers and faith? What good is centering prayer (or any kind of prayer ) when we go out and argue about the real trivialities of life?

            Mind you, I'm not arguing about perfection. We are all imperfect and all sinners. I have made more than my share of mistakes while trying to be faithful. I am a sinner. But if we grasp the message of faith, if we grasp the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we won't stray to the lengths that we seem to to in our personal lives, as religions or as nations. 

         This focus on minutia and 'my way' is myopic. The only way we will change is to see the diversity of God's creation. We have to see and know that there are many ways to see something, many ways to do something. There are many religions that express the same truth just from a different vantage point.  In focusing on minutia in any situation we will never be able to come to terms with each other and truly love. When we focus on minutia, that becomes our religion. 

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.  The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.