Tuesday, February 2, 2016

MASTER AND WORKERS

 
 
 
CRISTO NEGRO – BLACK JESUS
 
Robert Trabold
 
Old year – New Year
 
I sit here – feel presence
of Black Jesus.
Feel old year
wonder about new one.
 
Jesus is black
color touches me
mystery – mystery of
our world.
 
Was a tough old year
endless wars – violence.
When will it end?
never ending!
 
I bring these wars – violence
to Black Jesus
Can help me
with this darkness.
 
Jesus’ life was one
of darkness
constant tensions
despite His good intentions.
 
Statue of Jesus on the cross
is black – copy of one
in a famous Guatemalan shrine.
What does the black say to me?
 
Jesus in life had no
easy answers.  His world
laid on Him – heavy
many problems – few answers.
 
Let me keep my eyes on the
black Jesus.  I have
to walk in mystery – few
answers in life – world.
 
Let me not be overwhelmed
with it all. Someday
an Easter Sunday will come
for us all – like it did for Jesus.
 
 
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MASTER AND WORKERS

 

Robert Trabold

 

 

            As we close one year and begin a new one, we wonder where the world is going. At times we feel depressed because despite our good efforts and those of others, the world does not seem to be better. It can be depressing as we look at the television and the newspapers where we read and see so much violence and hatred and war in the world. It seems to be never ending. There are many good people on earth who have the best of intentions and participate in many good projects. But their effect seems to be negligent in so far as the upheavals we see around us do not diminish. We notice that our government in Washington and others around the world do not accomplish what they could do in order to foster more peace and justice in the world. Political figures make many promises but do not live up to them.  So we are left with the sense of insecurity and disappointment as we look to the future and wonder what it holds for us and younger people.

 

            It may be good for us to step back and try to envision a larger picture of where all is going.  The work of making the world a better place is God’s project and in a very real sense it is beyond us. We do not direct how the world will go and in our lifetime, we accomplish a tiny part in this effort. Whatever we do and say which may be very good, is never complete because the building of God’s kingdom is always beyond us and our good work is just a small contribution to the final end. We can continually pray, do many good deeds, help many people, work in many good movements such as the peace movement, the ones to eradicate poverty, etc. All of our efforts in these endeavors are never complete nor accomplish what we would want them to do.  There is still a lot to be done and the problems of the world and its injustices continue to plague us.

 

            We have to realize that this is our lot on earth.  With our good intentions and deeds, we are planting seeds which one day will grow and bear fruit. We have to continue to plant seeds and water them with our consistency in doing good deeds and realize that it is in the future that we will see the fruits of our efforts and those of other good people. In one sense, we lay the foundation that as time passes needs further development and work. We are in a bakery where we use yeast which later will produce the finished bread.

 

            If we cultivate this sense that we cannot do everything and that the recreation of our world is God’s work, a burden is lifted from our shoulders. Let us not try to do the impossible. We have to be sincere in our efforts to lead a good life and make a contribution to the creation of a better world. We need to preserver in doing something and try our best but have to keep in mind that our efforts are incomplete. We are making our contribution to lay the foundation but it is God’s job to build the complete house. We may never see the complete house but be persevering in making our small contribution during our years on earth. The recreation of the world more in the image of the justice and peace that Jesus preached is God’s work and our small and incomplete efforts are steps along the way. Ultimately God’s grace has to come in to complete the work.

 

            Let us remember that God is the master builder and we are the workers. During our life, we are to make our small contribution. We most probably will not see the end work.  We are building a future which is not our own but belongs to Jesus and God the Father. If we can cultivate this perspective, it takes a load off our human shoulders.  We feel better, have things in perspective and realize that we are building a new world which is not our own but are called to make a contribution to its realization. We may get depressed with the world’s injustices and violence but need to continue to make our efforts to the building of God’s project and kingdom of how things should be.
 
 
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