Jesus told us, “Be in the world, but not of the world.” He said this because most often the world’s logic is not the logic of God. In fact, God’s logic is utter folly to the world. Jesus tells us, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… do not worry what you are to eat; nor regarding your body, what you are to wear. But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be supplied to you. Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
It can be easy to give an idealistic nod to Jesus’ words, but if we apply them to our present world, they sound foolish and impractical. Yet at some point in the spiritual life, we will have to choose the folly of God‘s wisdom over and against the ways of the world. Are we willing to love and pray for those who sit on the other side of the political aisle, especially when they hold positions opposite of our own? Are we willing to listen to those with whom we disagree, seeking to understand rather than trying to be understood? Would we rather win an argument or make a friend of an enemy? Are we willing to believe that truth, beauty, and goodness are the only legitimate paths to peace and justice? Do we live by the reality that love is the most powerful force in all of creation? Are we willing to live as though there is only one tribe, the human tribe? Are willing to spend our time, talent, and treasure serving God’s causes? Such choices require a leap of faith, not a leap into nothingness, but a leap into the deepest depths of God’s love, which is simultaneously an initiation into God’s wisdom.
Divine Mother
May I have what it takes
To follow Francis
And become
A new kind of fool
For you.
