June 30, 2014 “Blessed Ramon Lull” “Follow Me No Where” Matt, 8:18-22
“Follow Me and the let the dead bury their own dead.”
People often asked me “What are your plans for the future?” “Do you have plans for retirement?” And all I know is that I follow One who has no plans, sets no agendas accept to love our neighbor. I followed him at Pride yesterday, being pushed and cussed running the Grandstand area, giving employment to two street kids, who were happy as a lark to make some money; I follow him feeding and hanging out with kids on Polk and Golden Gate Park. The truth is Jesus asks us to follow him without asking where we are going, and the older I get that is enough.
Secondly following Jesus means what Will Tuttle says quite eloquently:
The bystander offers an example of nonviolence and speaks on behalf of the victims who have no voice (and, on a subtler level, on behalf of the perpetrators who are also victimized by their own actions).
Perpetrators may condemn bystanders for judging them and making them feel bad or guilty, but the bystanders are merely acting as the perpetrators’ conscience, asking them to please become more aware and stop their violence, for everyone’s sake.
Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!