Technology, for all its wonderful potential, is a part of our lives that we feel we can never go without, or so we assume. Like automobiles, telephones, television, the internet and all the many forms of “social media,” which have become far more contentious than inspiring, have found themselves forever embedded in the human experience. For all the many ways that we find ourselves connected with other people through technology, there have been many analysis that have shown us it has the potential to draw us farther away from one another. We become isolated in our virtual worlds and suffer the pain of great loneliness relying on false relationships.
The essential human connection, so painfully lacking this past year, of looking at another person, hearing the tone of their voice, responding to their gestures, a friendly handshake, a laugh, a compassionate hug, none of that is possible through technology. Even in this time of “zoom” meetings, it just isn’t the same as human presence. People now give silly "fist bumps" and virtual hugs. I for one, frankly, have no problem shaking someone's hand or a brief embrace. So wash your hands afterwards!
We may feel that we have thousands of friends around the
world but we still sense loneliness inside.
It is more difficult these days to establish meaningful relationships
with others but it is a basic human skill we must never abandon. Coming out of
the pandemic limitations should be cause for us not only to rejoice but a
perfect opportunity to reconnect with loved ones and true friends.
Our Gospel this Sunday presents another favorite
Christian image of Jesus as the vine and the branches: “I am the true vine . .
. remain in me as I in you . . . you are the branches.” If you recall last week we heard Jesus
present himself as the “Good (noble) Shepherd.”
Such metaphors are most helpful to us as we long to bring a sense of
rest and central focus to our lives in these crazy days of individualism. We
hunger for relationships that fulfill us.
Our readings this Sunday all provide a means to do that.
Our first reading from Acts indicates to us the problem
of Saul as the most controversial of Christian converts. Saul, now Paul, had experienced a
profound vision of Jesus that forever changed the direction of his life
radically. Yet, why would God choose this fierce enemy of the early Christian
followers to be now his messenger of salvation through Jesus’ death and
resurrection? The suspicion of the
Apostles is understandable: this must be a trick, a way for Paul to infiltrate
the Christian community and destroy them from within! It is totally
understandable why the Apostles in particular would have feared Paul’s true
motives. He won over Barnabas but he
won’t deceive us by his clever ploy.
Such must have been the thinking of these leaders.
What ultimately changed Paul, the Apostles and history,
though, was a now established relationship with each of them and with the will
of the Holy Spirit as they experienced it.
United as one in the faith, the mission of Christ can now be carried out
in its fullness.
As that mission grows, it opens new relationships with
the God of Israel to the larger world, the gentile communities far and
wide. Everywhere Paul went he labored to
establish communities of convicted Christians who now embrace the new Way shown
to them and connect them with one another in love and selfless service after
the example of Jesus. As we know,
thousands even went to their deaths rather than deny this new relationship they
had experienced with Christ and his disciples.
And the Church expanded its mission and continues on to our own
day. Not without human sin and flaws of
course but continually attached to the vine of Christ and drawing life from the
Spirit.
The beautiful image Jesus uses today is that which
reinforces the necessity of our attachment to the grace of God, his very
life. The vine and branches tell us that
Jesus is the vine, his Father is the vine grower, and that the mystery of his
work is that we are called to grow in the grace he offers us. We must remain in him for away from Christ,
“we can do nothing . . . If you remain in me and my words remain in you . . .
you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” As wandering sheep, the shepherd
goes in search of us lest danger and temptation pull us farther away from the
source of life. The same is true if we detach ourselves from the source of life
who is a vine which pumps his grace and life in us to bear fruit in the
Christian journey.
However, we might wonder, “Well, I can do a lot of things
on my own. What are the things that
Jesus speaks of that I “can do nothing? “Jesus reminds us that he and he alone
is the source of true life and unity. In
Christ alone we see the Father work and it is best for us to remain attached to
the vine of Christ lest we wither and die apart from him. Attached to the vine the good we do will be
rooted in his Gospel and by its power will bear much fruit.
The more we do – the more we give away – the more we receive
back. To do such in his name is to
multiply the good that is offered and to open the door to conversion of
life. The pruning and cutting is a
metaphor for being formed to a new direction where needed. Think of Paul’s experience which began along
the road. Remember Paul’s violent
actions towards the followers of Jesus and his now powerful conversion. Such things begin with a new awareness but
take time to reform and reshape. Through
sacrifice and prayer, Paul became a new man as Jesus called him to graft the
branches of new believers on to himself as the vine.
To keep the
commandments of love is our ultimate goal each day. Attached to the vine of Christ in and through
his Church is to stay constantly at 100% power and to never be unplugged from the
source of life itself. There we draw
life from his word, the sacraments, and from the inspiration and support of a
Spirit filled community. Life is here,
not there. Truth is here, not there.
The greatest good we do in the name of Christ always
becomes greater than we may even realize.
We see this in the ministry of the Saints and we know it if we simply
look around at the generosity and sacrifice of others for the sake of a common
good in his name.
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