Franciscan Fractal
Contemplating Today’s Culture through the Eyes of St. Francis & the Life of Christ
“Beyond Illusionary Thinking"
Another [person] said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62
By and large, we are an illusionary people. We live in a country that promises untold rewards for working hard and remaining steadfast. We envision ourselves as being independent enough to make our own decisions, smart enough to stay ahead of the rest of the pack, and wise enough to “gain” the grace of God. At the same time, we see ourselves as Christians for others to emulate. We love illusions.
Jesus attempted to lift up these illusions in pointing out several types of people who wanted to follow him. Each one was verbally committed, that is, until his or her commitment required action instead of words. One person needed to go bury his father before he followed Jesus. Another person responded with, “Lord, first let me go and . . .”
“First let me go?” How many times have you or I said or done a similar thing? How many times have we attempted to first get things, “off of our plate,” so that we can then rest and spend time with Jesus Christ. The answer is that we never get “things off of our plates.” Our plates are always full.
To be honest, like the people in this gospel story, we ARE a busy people. It’s not that we don’t care about Jesus. It is simply that following the way of Christ is not a priority. Certainly, we pray (sometimes), attend church (usually), give of our finances (somewhat), and offer our time (albeit sparingly). And, then we ask, “How much more is required?”
The answer is that nothing more is required. It is a matter of where is our heart. When our lives become about “collecting more,” or “doing more,” or “becoming more (even more ‘Christian’),” we avoid commitment and, hence, delay encountering the gifts of God who wants to overwhelm us with peace, joy, and love.
Jesus attempts to give an illustration of how we function in much of our life. Our task is to plow a field. Each of us has a different field to manage. Yet, we as followers of God, must also plow the field with two oxen yoked together. The job is difficult because the plowed rows need to be straight in order to plant seed. However, oxen are known not only for their strength, but also for their ability to veer off in multitude directions. To complicate matters, the plow itself does not want to go in a straight line, as it hits packed dirt and large stones.
We begin to plow our field until one of our illusions kicks in. How much more exciting is it to turn around, and see where we have been than to watch the trudging oxen and the direction of the plow? As illusionary people, we like to say, “Look, see what I have already done,” while at the same time creating a diversionary furrow that will never hold seed for growth and produce a harvest. It is not that we lack interest in following the Christ. Rather, we are diverted by our illusions that are entrenched in the center of our lives.
These illusions are well-crafted in every person’s ego. It is the ego (self) that thinks it can look to something else without focusing entirely on God’s input. A self-centered ego turns the head of the person doing the plowing. The ego thinks it knows more than God.
The real problem with the ego is that it remains hidden. It does not recognize itself and what it is doing. We find it too painful to recognize that you and I have a problem with our self-centered generator of illusions.
In order to tackle our self-centered ego, we need community. We need each other as we surround a risen Christ. We need to expose our own short comings and ask for help, and at times, forgiveness. Such honesty leads us to break out of our illusions about this life (and even death). In community, we suddenly find that we can live life following Christ with all of our strength, heart, soul, and mind.
There is everlasting life, beginning in the here and now, when the unending noise of our ego dies by submerging itself in the silence of a God who is always listening.
Prayers and Blessings,
Fr. John
