Ordinary Time

Pause

It's really not about you. It's not.

It's about God.

Whether anyone might describe you as religious, or pious, or even good, none of these has meaning apart from the maker of all that is good and right. We are dependent on the one who made us to make us better.

But we can give in to the process. We can be willing to become more what God has in mind. Such a moment as this—now—provides one such opportunity for the change to continue.

Listen

"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Matthew 6:1

Think

In an interview, Yann Martel, the author of the book Life of Pi, said the book can be summed up in three affirmations: 1. Life is a story; 2. You can choose your story; 3. A story with God is the better story.

That’s true for a life of piety too, which is consistently choosing the better story—the story with God. But a whole lot of people consistently choose a story without God. Maybe that’s because they ask themselves, “Who’s watching the story of me?” rather than “Who’s living it with me?” and care more about people responding to their living than participating in it.

How do I enjoy the gifts of social media without making of my life a series of posted status reports? How do I “like” my living without constantly checking how many “likes” my latest post got?

Maybe by liking God-with-us—the best story.

John Ballenger

Pray

God, help me to choose, as you do, life together. Amen.

Go

There before you lies all the world,
Given as a gift.

Go into the world as a work in progress,
Someone who is not yet who you will be,
But someone who is on the way.

The world will be better and blessed
Because you are in it,
Growing, becoming, gleaming with
The light reflected from above.