Most people do what seems reasonable to them at the time,
Most of the time…
Padraig
O’Tauma, In the Shelter (reflecting on Judas)
______________________________
Most people do what seems reasonable to them
At the time
Most of the time
“It seems logical!”
We say to ourselves
“It is a no-brainer!”
Even Judas
The betrayer had his reasons
We guess but do not know
It seemed logical to hand Jesus over
Just as later, it seemed illogical
Thus we have
Judas the repentant
Judas the penitent one
I am sure, for those who follow the way of domination
For those who fly the flag
Of this cause or that
It seems logical
To embrace power and wealth
Logical to storm the capitol
And perhaps too
That AR 15 seems logical
Or that handgun in the bedside drawer
It seems logical to reject
And minimized
And oppress
Those different from us
Those we do not understand
Those who stagger to our borders, desperate
They are odd, dangerous, costly
I too have embraced the logical
Said this
Done that
And sometimes it worked!
And sometimes I ended up
Repenting
It is a curious thing
How often Sacred calls us to do the illogical
But then again
Is not the illogical Sacred space?
Was the incarnation logical?
Or birth in a stable?
Was Kenosis logical
Or the cross?
Is agape love logical?
Is loving our enemies
Blessing those who curse us
Welcoming the stranger
Giving all we have and following
Forgiving, and then forgiving some more?
Is any of that
Logical?
Ah!
Let us hear it for the illogicality of God
Which calls us into wild spaces
Into the wilderness
Not so we might die
But so that we might be transformed
Which calls us to give so we might receive
To let go of ourselves so we might find ourselves
That calls us to die so that we might live
God’s way is not our way (thank God)
It is not logical
It is as foolish as the cross
No comments:
Post a Comment