As humans we tend to like to mark off the beginnings or endings of things: times, seasons – even life. I remember in June counting the days to the end of school and then in counting off the days to the end of Summer. For the friars the novitiate is one year and a day. I remember counting off the last 100 days. We count off the days to the beginning of vacations or trips, the days to an important surgery, or important event.
The early disciples wanted to know the date for the end of all days or the beginning of the new reign of God, or when Jesus would declare himself as the new king. Interestingly Jesus doesn’t give them a date. His message is do not be worried or preoccupied with these things. Specifically, today he says: For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you. What they were worried about was already happening in their midst. All their hopes, preoccupations, fears, and anticipation were blocking them from experiencing the actual event in their lives. Being worried or concerned about when, where, how, who or how many more days caused them to lose out on the beauty of the real experience. Jesus, the love of God made flesh, had arrived and God was with them.
The moment, whether a sunrise or a sunset, is a beautiful expression of God’s love for us. Adding on our own fears, anxieties, preoccupations, – our own questions of when, where, or how – only serve to twist and distort God’s beauty. Living in the midst of God’s love for us is enough for a true Christian.
Image: “Sunset”, Fr. Chris, Dunn, O.F.M., July 2022.