One answer to the question: what did Jesus do? is, he walked. Being a peasant, Jesus rarely had the luxury of riding horses or even donkeys. He lived a slow life. A play-full life is lived at the right speed. It is to have enough time to live with joy and in community with others... Most of us live the FAST LIFE... Carl Honore calls it the velocitization of life. We want our red lights to be green; our morning commute to be congestion free so that we can speed along at seventy plus miles and hour; our air travel to be on time. We want to be able to drive up and buy what we need. We want overnight shipping of our online purchases and we seek fast processors for our computers and fast Internet access. We want many channels to surf on television; recorded television shows without advertisements breaks; constant alerts from our Smartphone; our phone directory on speed dial; our emails to be answered immediately; the stock exchange to rebound quickly; our weight loss program to show great results in seven days or less; and, of course, we want fast food.
I see myself named in almost everything in that sad list ~ and felt myself fighting against what I have embraced throughout today. Stupid ass drivers making annoying decisions on the road, sluggish pedestrians getting in my way of completing my last minute errands, controlling and manipulative traditions, lists to be made and accomplished and so much more. And over and over again I had to force myself ~ sometimes out loud in the car ~ to pray St. Paul Simon's prayer: slow down you move to fast... you got to make the morning last.
And so it goes: the call is offered and received but conversion is more about my little choices everyday rather than the big one, yes? And I am dying and being reborn in each of those little choices to slow down and pay attentin so that my life is lived at the right speed. Fr. Richard Rohr, in commenting on the Vesper antiphons for this day helps when he tells us that the O Antiphon for yesterday ~ Rex in Latin ~ means king, but not our usual understanding of king:
Jesus' kingship is not a lording it over us “as the pagans do” (Luke 22:24-27). The true Messiah will utterly redefine power and authority as servanthood (John 13:4-15), good shepherding (John 10:11-18), and uniting the group in love (John 17:20-24). Ken Wilber says that there is an authority that dominates, and an authority that protects life and growth, as exemplified by good parents. I am afraid most of the world is still waiting for this kind of authority, even in the churches. To this needed, and oh-so-desired kingship, we still say COME!
Lord, may it be born and nourished within and among us...
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