Saturday, February 13, 2010

What I’m Reading Today: Mark 13

Every time I encounter those apocalyptic passages such as today’s reading from Mark that point toward what some might call “the end times”, I find myself cringing a bit. Who wouldn’t be troubled by language attributed to Jesus that says, “If [God] let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it.” But today – as I sat with those unsettling words – I had a little different insight than I normally do.

As I sat with those words, I realized that those of us lucky enough to be in positions where we feel blessed by the conditions of the status quo would definitely find any words that point toward the end of it to be unsettling. We’ve grown accustomed to enjoying those things in our lives – so much so that some of us (myself included at times) have come to take the continuation of our blessings in life for granted.

Not everyone is in this position, however. There are those who are currently denied “the basics.” For these folks, a seismic (or apocalyptic change) would be welcome news.

I saw this dynamic play out in the recent debate on health care reform. Some of those who currently have coverage have treated the proposed reforms as a form of the apocalypse – signaling the end of “our way of life as we know it”. Others who have long been shut out of the health care system have seen the proposed change as a welcome sign of relief.

The trick for us as people of faith, I believe, is knowing how to bridge the communication chasm between groups so that we can focus on what really matters – ushering in the reign of God in our individual and collective lives that expands a sense of peace and justice.

Today I would invite you to consider how you might be a tool in bridging the chasm between groups so that (to borrow language from the civil rights era) we can keep our eye on the prize.

Til next time…