Where do I draw my priorities and perspectives from?

THE WORD IN LENT - 2nd week, Thursday 

March 12, 2020: Jeremiah 17: 5-10; Luke 16: 19-31

Point for Dialogue #13: External Actions and Internal Motivations

Religious Commitment is not merely about rites, rituals, performances and practices! Christian faith is primarily about priorities. Even in our daily life, what we do first, what we give up for the sake of something or someone, what we choose over another, what we are ready to sacrifice for the sake of a particular reason, what we prefer over something else - all these are concrete indicators to what really matters to a person; his or her priorities!

Having the right priorities is essentially a grace from the Spirit - as it involves extraordinary sense of wisdom and discernment. And whether we have the right priorities is an obvious fact that can be easily gauged from the decisions and choices we make. But whether they are truly our priorities and whether we are truly convinced of it, is a matter of the heart, apart from oneself, God alone knows it - for God pierces the heart and knows our thoughts.

What the Word today leads us to is a sincere dialogue between what we do and why we do, between our external actions and the internal motivations. Because it is in this dialogue can we understand how far we are from ourselves. And the Word insists, what we would be judged for, is our unseen motivation and not our seen activities. Blessed is the one who has not much to cover between these two.

Life and all that it involves is a gift from God, and it makes meaning only as long as it is lived with that perspective clear and strong. At times the values that the times teach us, the priorities that the society promotes, makes us look at riches, comforts, social status, economic security, personal attachments as things that matter most. Taken well, these can bring us to realise, understand and cherish the giftedness involved. But taken amiss, they can confuse our priorities, as it happens with the rich man in today's parable. 

Jeremiah draws our attention to trees planted by the course of a river - without even anyone seeing they draw heavily from the river to live their daily life! That is what we could do too, to grow and flourish in grace and giftedness; draw from the Lord, our priorities and perspectives and that would certainly transport us to the bosom of Abraham.