23rd Sunday God's Wisdom is life: choose it.

Who here are great organizers? Persons who can think through and get ready what needs to be done? Persons who do it instinctually? I envy you. I can organize, but with a lot of effort. And as I mature, I have less energy, and less patience for it, I kind of want to simply go. And sometimes the consequences of that are not fun.

God created the world and all within it to be a stage upon which all of creation can encounter, know and love God. God will bring life. Humanity serves as the mediator between God and Creation; that is our role. We share our love of God with all of creation. Such is the wisdom of God.  Humanity had a choice; to honor that role, their creator, and follow that wisdom of God, or choose themselves. We know how the story goes. And by the choice, tempted by human logic, humanity enslaves itself to what is not God, to what does not bring life. We can read in Genesis right away the consequences of that choice; Adam and Eve begin a blame game with each other, with the world; and human society struggles afterward.

God remains, to continue to offer to Humanity the Divine wisdom. God calls out Abram and Sarah and asks them to trust; a divine wisdom that did not make sense as these were older people and how could they produce heirs. God made it happen, against all human logic. Abraham and Sarah’s faith in God was shown to be true.

God seemingly has a good sense of humor. We still have that same choice, follow God or follow human logic. God invites us to think and act differently, often contrary to human logic. What kind of God invites to actually “love” our enemy; yet “hate” our family? What kind of God invites us to have faith and trust and be loyal, and not focus on wealth? What kind of God says your redeemer was killed in the most shameful of ways and I raised him up?

Love never seems logical.

I enjoy meeting couples preparing for marriage; I enjoy getting to hear their story of how they met, got to know each other, fall in love and decide they want to marry. Sometimes the stories are not logical, and the couples on paper kind of don’t make sense.  Yet, love sees the Good in others, beyond logic.

Parents too, I enjoy hearing their stories. Mainly, just to affirm celibacy, but kids drive them crazy; and beyond logic, they still see the good in the kids. They love them. 

Beyond all logic, beyond all human wisdom, God loves us; and wants us to be free; free of what limits us, free of what enslaves us.  God so loves us with divine wisdom, that beyond human logic, the Son of God comes to us, to save us, not condemn us. Jesus reveals to us God wisdom, and offers us the invitation to choose life and freedom; or remain dead and enslaved; to find our truest selves in the Love of God, or choose to link our identity to things and ideas that are not of God, that will pass away.
Jesus shows us the divine wisdom of compassion and mercy, of welcoming and healing; of compassion and humility; and of giving of self.  

And Jesus challenges us to think about this. To weigh what we want to do and be versus what we can do and what we can be. Think truly of what God offers to us, invites us to.

Consider Francis of Assisi, what we would call a wealthy playboy in our days, a Kardashian equivalent. Francis hears God’s invitation to a more meaningful life and Francis responds; whole heartedly.

We as disciples, we who want to find and have life to the full; commitment to that wisdom will be critical. We will need to commit to that wisdom and that wisdom alone. It will mean that we discern the worldly wisdom, and use it, but never rely on it. We always choose God’s.

It will mean that we give of ourself for this; and accept the short term costs.

It means that we really think this through…how will I make that commitment? What will it be? Will it be more important than sports and sport’s practice; more important that the Yankees and Red Sox; more important than that golf game, more important than that tv show; more important than that coffee….

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