I often say that when God wants your attention he/she will tap you on the shoulder in one way or another. If you choose to ignore God, it is quite likely that God will then get your attention with a baseball bat instead. God is not always subtle.....or easy. We are often called to do things we would really prefer not to do. I suppose life would be easy if life was all about me, just me. ( It certainly would be lonelier ). But God is all about relationships and other people. The Trinity is both symbol and the reality of relationship. Any call to action is really a call to all. All our worship and all the Sacraments are communal in nature, or at least celebrated in communion with others. But even marriage is a celebration and life of more than one, two shall become one, your people shall be my people. Always more than just me. Love, God and life itself are always outward focused with others.
And in today's readings, God creates an agreement. I will be your God, you will be the chosen nation, you will need to obey these rules of living. Jesus comes down like a hammer though. Not enough to obey those commandments, easy peasy. Any literalist can do that. It requires very little thinking and you can remain self centered. Just stay in your box and live.
But life is all about interactions, living, loving, communication, mis-communication, working, etc., etc., etc. Jesus tells us again that it is more than those Ten Commandments, it is not strict adherence to some rote rules. In Matthew, it is relayed that God loves everyone, the righteous and the unrighteous. The self righteous should not look down on others and I, a sinner, should not look down on the righteous either. Jesus says we are to love ALL. There's that hammer. Love ALL. It really does seem like a baseball bat if you really get it. God is calling us to respect and love every single part and parcel of his creation. To do otherwise disrespects your own dignity and God. 'What you do to the least of my children' is driven home with that proverbial hammer.
It easy to be nice to the nice. We love doing things for people we like. How do we love the ones we don't like? 'Honest' hatred? Rebukes that someone 'deserves'? Outright loathing? Perhaps the fact that this is a presidential election year in the United States makes a good point for us. No matter which side you are on there are plenty of people around who seem like blithering idiots. They seem to get the whole message wrong - about every single thing you believe in. Argh. You could hate them, right? How are we called to act? Certainly not to vote for that person or persons. We are called to dignity, gentle honesty perhaps but we must love them and listen.
There is an old question asked in a poster ( when bedroom posters were "in" ). If you were accused of being a Christian, could you be convicted? The essence of Christian conversion is not a rule book but that expression "they'll know we are Christians by our love".
The essence of responding to God, to answering his call and growth is love. It is not a simple love of our youth where we obey simple rules and keep a tally. Mature faith is a challenge, it is expansive, it is hard at times. Think though how expansive and loving God is with us, loving each one of use, gracing each one of us. What should our response be then?
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