For the last several weeks, I’ve been kind of avoiding the news.
None of it is good, it seems. Wildfires are still burning, politics are, well, as usual. People are still trying to get out of Afghanistan, Haiti and other dangerous places. Hospitals are again at capacity with Covid patients. And on Friday the Secretary General of the United Nations said “the world is on a catastrophic pathway” as a result of global warming. Not a whole lot of reasons for optimism out there. Or, at least, not a lot that are getting reported!
And though we are absolutely in a safer, better place than we were a year ago, and here at St. Matthew’s we are opening up, thanks be to God, still there is a niggling feeling of dread. I just don’t want to hear more bad news. I want to think about something else.
Now this is not exactly the same as the disciples hearing another passion prediction from Jesus in this morning’s Gospel lesson from Mark. After all, we know that the disturbing news that Jesus is reporting, about what his teaching and ministry is going to cost him, and those who are with him, is in service to a much larger narrative of good news. The great news of God’s love, for all of us, and the lengths to which God will go to be with us in every aspect of human existence, including death. Offering joy, and hope, and new life on the other side.
Still, if you and I imagine ourselves there with Peter, James, John and the rest, it’s not hard to understand why they might be feeling a bit avoidant...(read more)
