Lent - day 8

       When I was in high school a thousand years ago, I was introduced to some rather different philosophies and classmates that held views quite counter to everything I held dear. In this regard I noted one individual whom I remember this morning and who makes me think of a whole process of aggrandizement.

        My classmate had some horrible things to say about President John F. Kennedy. While President Kennedy was a star whose brightness seemed to increase with time in my family and in the hearts of many, my classmate was quick to note some very specific details that made him not such a nice guy, perhaps a poor President with questionable morals. Yet President Kennedy's legacy still looms large.

        I also think about others that loom large to me, people I hold as role models, mentors and spiritual guides.  I can think right off of John Boswell whom I uphold as a hero.  I have no illusions that, had I met him as a young gay man ( had I even been out as a young man ), he would have had virtually no interest in me personally, not even as a one night stand.  The truth is, I have very little knowledge of his life except the great contributions he made to scholarly research and the LGBTQ community. Still, a hero to me.  John Boswell is perhaps another whose legacy has grown larger after he died.

       This is so true of many, many people, politicians, lovers, artists, you name them.

        I was thinking of this passage from John today of course. I can picture a very young man with his head resting on Christs chest (at the last supper?), or so it is in John 13:23.

A young man in love perhaps and whose image of his lover and Savior has grown larger and larger even as John writes the last Gospel. John's Gospel was critically acknowledged as the last Gospel written, many years after the other 3. I am not as sure about its relation to other non-canonical Gospels, Thomas, Mary, etc. I do see how large Jesus loomed in the eyes of John as witnessed by his writings, different surely than the Matthew, Mark and Luke.

         This is sort of my whole point this morning. What do we let loom large in our lives? Dare I say Fox news?  Is there a spiritual guide that you can think of that holds a high place in your heart? Soul? Mind? I am saddened to say that there are few Roman Catholic people on the current lists save perhaps Richard Rohr for myself. Merton has long passed and he might be yet another example of a person who now looms larger in death than in life. Though, Merton did loom very large in real life. My point though is that there really is only one who should be holding the top honour of guide, mentor, role model, hero, and savior. The top of the pyramid ( or the center of the circle if you wish ) is Christ.

        Anyone that hides that 'center' from us or does not help illuminate the center better is false and not worthy of an kind of exaltation or emulation.

       While we all can gain love, life and support from each other, even in our imperfections, the ultimate reason for living and for this Lenten season is Jesus Christ. Let no one take God's place in our lives.

John 2:23-3:15

 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.

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.