Homilette for Thursday, March 29, 2007

Thursday, V Lent

(John 8)

Albert Einstein once said, “Time exists so that everything does not happen at once.” That’s important. We become upset when two things happen at once – we’re preparing dinner and the doorbell rings. How could we ever cope with everything happening at once? But is it possible that someone exists outside of time? That One would have created time and everything else. Philosophers would call this Being who exists outside of time “God.” In the gospel today Jesus equates himself with that One, Being, or God. This is the meaning of his statement, "I Am."

Of course, this is all difficult to comprehend. The Jews may be resisting belief in Jesus but not without cause. How can a man whose date of birth is known and who will one day die be God? That’s another good question. We have an answer, however. The Son of God existed from all eternity but joined himself to a human body and soul. He did this to redirect humanity from sin which displeases God to virtue which God likes. God’s becoming human shows God’s great care for us humans.

Abraham is father of three great world religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three see the Bible as God’s revelation although Jews do not accept the New Testament and Moslems look to the Koran as the ultimate word of God. Christianity seems the most daring of the three and the most hopeful. We say “daring” because of our belief that God has made Himself accessible in Jesus Christ. We say “hopeful” because Jesus has left the sacraments which assist us in two ways. First, they strengthen us for those times when everything seems to happen at once. Second, they prepare us for life with God outside of time.

Reflection on Being named Time's "Person of the Year"

Today I found out that I was selected Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year.” Well, not I individually, but together with you and everyone else that uses the Internet. We are the people whom Time thinks are making the news for the innovative ways we connect with one another on the electronic highway.

Of course, being a minute part of such a massive enterprise is hardly any distinction at all. In this morning’s San Francisco Chronicle columnist George Will not only points out that fact but deflates most of Time’s unnamed honorees a second time by calling them unserious. In fact, he finds many bloggers and perpetrators of newer Internet possibilities narcissistic. Perhaps many people mounting their ideas on the Internet are more pleased with the fantasy of their names being hurled through cyberspace than in those ideas actually registering with other people. But that is not the case here.

I spend a considerable amount of time thinking and working through ideas before publishing them on this blog space. I hope that people are edified by my thoughts. Also, I would be delighted if readers would contact me with their opinions about my writing or about the subject matter. The interchange might make both them and myself more sensitive and reflective people.