Signposts On The Way

When we at the Congar Institute assist ministers to serve across different cultures, we often talk about two primary cultural perspectives: the individualistic and the communitarian. Each perspective has its pros and cons. For instance, it is more challenging for one perspective to absorb real differences—not differences that distinguish people, but significant differences that set certain people apart. It is more natural to a communitarian culture to make the effort to adapt to the differences of the other to bring them along with the group, while the individualistic culture might tend to look upon such an effort as inefficient, impractical, and ultimately a drain on the group that is more harmful than helpful.

Both of today’s readings reveal to us the strangeness of God. One (Rom 11:29-36) is in awe over it. It celebrates the marvels of God’s mercy, a free gift offered to the disobedient for no other reason than to give God the opportunity to be merciful. Very strange indeed!

The other (Lk 14:12-14) points to the strange implications for those called to communion with this God. Jesus offers the challenge in the Gospel today: can you imagine yourself being generous to those who cannot repay you? For us in a society shaped by Christianity, this does not seem so strange. But to Jesus’ hearers, especially the wealthy Pharisee who was hosting him, such an idea was other-worldly. In a culture marked by the honor-shame code, the idea of humbling oneself was literally humiliating, the opposite of honorable. This would have made Jesus’ challenge utterly strange, and it would introduce the hearers to the meaning of worshiping a God who strangely seeks out opportunities to be merciful.

How have I experienced God’s mercy in my life? Have others experienced God’s mercy through me?