Living on the water is not for the faint of heart. The water can be rather unforgiving and you really have to be prepared for a wide variety of scenarios. I have often thought that a drive through Alaska might be quite similar. Not much room for error and you really have to be quite prepared. Mistakes that otherwise would be the subject of a rescue call to AAA could prove fatal in extreme and unforgiving circumstances like the Alaskan wilderness. I suppose at one time life was always like that, survival of the fittest and all that. Today, not so much and I am sure that is good and bad. The fact remains though that we are called to be prepared. It's a great scout motto and today's Scripture passage is all about that.
When we find ourselves face to face with our creator to explain or lives, will it be good enough to say "had I only known" or "I really meant to take care of that" ( or them )? I am firm believer in a thoroughly loving and almost unbelievably forgiving God by human standards. How much of God's nature can we presume to impose upon?
When my kids were growing up and I was learning how to be a parent, we made many discoveries. One is how different children are. These little humans have such a vast difference in capabilities, interests and talents. You may know that I feel it is a sin not to indulge, promote and nurture the gifts and talents we are graced with. If one child had a greater ability, more was expected of him or her in that area. Alernatively, more was expected of me to nurture and support that talent. We each contribute in our own way but to those who have been given more, more is expected.
Where then do we get the notion that the rich should be granted more rights and exclusions to get richer while the poor are viewed as lazy and get less? It's an interesting dynamic that is not supported in scripture nor from Jesus' actions in human life. Even more interesting is that it is often the pseudo-Christian conservative right that promotes such human inequities. Google the living habits and 'homes' of televangelists and see what presumptions these men and women have on God's good graces. I suspect they will will be called to task with the rest of us if not more so.
While we are all called to do the best we can and use our gifts and talents for the good of all God's creation, some are graced with with more abilities and hence more responsibilities. But for those of us who have perhaps not the material means we are not let off the hook so easily. Like the bridesmaids we are called upon to prepare. Without monetary means or a given talent what are we to do then? While no one is granted excuses out of loving our fellow humans, the 99% lets say, have more leverage than we often think about. Voting and political action are a way to promote God's love, divine policies of inclusiveness and charity. To not vote, to not raise your voice, will not likely be accepted as an excuse juts like having to buy lamp oil at the last minute was not accepted in today's passage.
No one is excused, and from some more is granted and more expected. None of us should be lazy or fall folly to the notion that we still have time.
Matthew 25:1-13
‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
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