Just found out yesterday that my Mom-in-law's cancer numbers dropped again, which is a Woo-Hoo moment. I responded to this news from Kathleen by saying, "it's about time we get some good news around here!" All of which started this conversation about how our life is not filled with good news the majority of the time. Why is this? What have we done to make us people who do not experience good news on a daily or regular basis? What's wrong with us? Especially since we consider ourselves pretty honest and open followers of Jesus. Shouldn't we be people who just ooze good news?
So what constitues good news? Is it a feeling? Is it an experience? Is it some kind of karma-driven thing where my good deeds outweigh my bad ones, so I get some? Is it as simple as "you reap, what you sow?" How come folks who seem superficial and shallow in their faith, (see, I can be judgemental), seem to have everything they want in life, while I seem blind to or devoid of good news? Why is that? Have I offended God? Is there something about how Kathleen and I live our lives, that my reaction to mom-in-laws cancer numbers seemed out-of-place? It was almost as if we automatically expect the worst, because, after all, it is OUR life we're talking about...A little perspective would be great right about now.
The only thing that brings me some comfort, is that I know I'm being selfish. I mean, come on, compared to how others in our global village live, I live like one of the rich and famous. I have a roof over my head, I have lots of space and stuff. I have clean water. I have an over-abundance of food to choose from. I have a car, a computer, a TV, I have way too much, too much. I have Kathleen, Boomer, the beast and all these amazing collection of friends from diverse walks of life, with different perspectives, experiences, etc about faith, life, living, death, etc. There is great news in that, not just good. I have two faith communities that I share life with that are vastly different from one another, but they both are trying to figure out how to live out a life of faith in concrete and real ways. That's good news too. For an aging, weight-challenged, white dude, I'm healthy as well. So?
In Matthew 5:43ff, Jesus gives us a new way of seeing and being in this life with his admonishment to "love our enemies." We are told that the sun rises for those who do evil as well as those who do good. That it rains upon the righteous and unrighteous. That if you only love those who love you, what difference does that make? We are to love as God loves, which is fully and completely. So maybe good news is just that. The good news is Love, not only receiving it; not only giving it to your peeps who love you back, but also to the other: asking if you have any spare change; the lady driving the SUV while drinking her latte and talking on her cell phone, who just cut you off; the broken relationship that you've never taken care of...you get the idea. Maybe I experience good news more than I realize. Maybe it is all around me, I just don't have the eyes and spirit and attitude to see it and experience. Maybe...
I wonder what is "good news" for you?
-M-
I remember some time ago you preached a sermon on seeing God. You know, the time that you were excited to play the George Straight song and it was an epic fail, yea, that sermon.
ReplyDeleteSince then I take time at some point in my day to stop and reflect on where I saw God that day. And I write it down. I have a moleskin full of this stuff. Occasionally, I go back and read through it; remembering good days and bad, but ultimately seeing God's love.
I saw God today, Mark and that, that is good news.
I think, perhaps its a matter of perspective. We can choose to see/hear/receive news and habitually perceive it as bad. Or we can adopt a victim mentality about the circumstances we experience.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we do have the choice to seek the good and true and pure and righteous. We can choose to trust even when we hurt in body, mind and spirit.
I like this blog. Thanks for writing it and being transparent.