Jesus never seems much for those kind of social set-ups, so what does he do? Call him down from the tree and invite himself to dinner of course! Both of the homilies I heard on this reading spoke of the necessity on the part of Christians to reach out and touch those whom others have deemed unworthy, who have been rejected and made to be outcasts on the edge of society. Reading the Gospels, that is certainly one of the things that strike me most about Jesus - he touches everyone. Not just a spiritual "touching of the heart" type deal, although that is obviously present as well, but a physical encounter. According to the traditions of his time, solely based on the amount of lepers, possessed people, and sinners that Jesus physically came into contact with, he would have had to ritually cleanse himself every second for the rest of his life in order to even have the hope of becoming pure again. but he doesn't seem to care much about that.
I had this parable on my mind throughout the mass, and when we got to the Our Father, I realized something. As I looked around the Church (because I get distracted in this types of situations pretty easily), I saw close to 100 people, a majority with their hands raised, palm up, but with only a handful holding hands while they prayed. Now, I know there are definitely people who just don't believe they should be holding hands during the prayer, and I completely respect that. But for the people who do, I noticed something important - everyone stands there with their palms up, open and ready to receive someone else's hands - for ultimately, that is what we all want innit? To be touched, to be loved, to be embraced and accepted exactly as we are, just because we are.
Why, then, would we not do that for others? Why not take that maxim of the golden rule seriously and reach out and touch others in the same way we would like to be touched? This reminds me of one of my favorite poems by Hafiz, which goes:
With That Moon Language
Admit something: Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me."
Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops.
Still though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect. Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye that is always saying, with that sweet moon language, What every other eye in this world is dying to hear?
-Hafiz
I reflected upon this poem with the youth who I work with at the Juvenile Detention Center here, and they went right to the heart of it. It's hard to admit to others that we even want or need to be loved, especially when we have been hurt before - who wants to be vulnerable anyway? It's hard to reach out and be loving when what we have known and seen from others is not that, when what we see modeled around us is isolation and a detached attitude, sometimes even violence. We all have knots and wounds that keep us from being able to love and be loved, and in a recent article I read by Bishop Cupich, he says that the task of a Christian in the modern age is to help people to untie their knots. To reach out, just as Jesus did, and touch others, be with them in their pain, tell them you can love them for who they are and that you do.
Two weeks back, I was presented an image that has and will stick with me as I attempt to work on being love for others. KINI, the radio station I am the morning DJ for, hosted a Halloween dance for the entire reservation community. The place was jam packed with kids, dressed up as princesses and zombies, ninja turtles and witches, and all other kinds of fun creatures. (I went as a failed prophet from the time of Jesus - I would've made it big if it wasn't for that guy, maybe even had my own book - at least it won me the costume contest). I have started getting used to all of the funny looks I get around here - I am a big white guy with a massive beard and dreadlocks, so I don't exactly fit in at all. I walk all over town, show up at local basketball games, attend funerals and wakes, and people notice when there is one person in the room who doesn't look like anyone else (not to mention their kids are running up to this strange and crazy person looking person for hugs). I was out there killin it on the D-flo (dance floor for all of you lay people) when I felt a tap on my shoulder. A mother was standing in front of me holding her little girls hand, and my first thought was "Oh shit, I probably accidentally kicked this girl in the face while dancing like an idiot."
Instead, the mom leaned in, timid and shy-like, and said "My daughter would really like to dance with you, would that be OK?" I crouched down and looked at this little angel, all smiles and a face full of love, took her hand, and twirled and danced with the most graceful 4 year old I have ever me.
Maybe this is what Jesus meant when he said that the children are blessed, that we should be like children. Perhaps we should be able to just be there with people, showing them how loved they are, how perfect they are, without even having to say anything. Maybe we should just be able to ask for what we need, to admit we want love, that we are incomplete. maybe we should have the innocence and courage to approach those who are different from us and reach out and touch them.
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