"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive!"
It's from Howard Thurman, an influential African-American thinker and author who I know little about. But I intend to change that. Already I have started listening to some of his lectures on youtube.
Thurman's quote, and Fr. Doug's homily from this morning, have me thinking about what it means to be alive. And more specifically, what it means to be alive in faith.
In Luke's gospel today (Luke 10), we heard the account of Jesus sending the 72 disciples. In this sending story, Jesus commissions them ("Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves") and gives them instructions on how they are to go on the way ("Do not take a purse or bag or sandals").
And what are they to do? "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'"
In essence, they are to be living signs of the Kingdom. In their coming and their going, in their healing and their teaching, in everything that they do, they are to be signs of God's active presence in the world.
Fr. Doug challenged us to examine ourselves. Are we living signs of our faith? During the week, on the road and in the workplace, are we signs of love, healing, and peace?
Fr. Doug spoke about Pope John XXIII who, in convening the Second Vatican Council in 1962, said that the church must open the windows and let in the fresh air of the Spirit. Pope Francis, who recently called for Pope John's sainthood, seems to be opening the windows again for some resuscitating breath.
Thurman was prophetic in saying "what the world needs is people who have come alive."
We the faithful disciples of Jesus must come alive in the Spirit and be living signs in all that we do.
Posted by Terrence Seamon on Sunday July 7, 2013
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