Readings (Year C):
Isaiah 43:16 – 21
Psalm 126:1 – 2, 2 – 3, 4 – 5, 6.
Philippians 3:8 – 14
John 8:1 – 11
Reflection: Start something new
This Sunday’s readings reveal how God brings newness of life in desirable as well as disruptive ways. In the reading from Isaiah God puts it beautifully and bluntly, saying: “[S]ee, I am doing something new! Do you not perceive it?” To illustrate, rivers will run through wastelands and deserts will become places of life. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul forgets what lies behind him, “straining forward to what lies ahead” toward his new life in Christ. And the divine newness at work in the Gospel of John almost speaks for itself. Not only is the woman accused of adultery called by Jesus into a new way of life; the elders themselves are challenged to move beyond their violent judgments, which they had taken to be their prerogative. In our faith, then, we are called to perceive the new and enter fully into it.
On a natural level, we can recognize this need for newness, for novelty and breaths of fresh air. New things—restaurants, music, lovers—are exciting. Ads and commercials every day try to convince us that their products are the answer. If we all can recognize this, why is it so hard to entrust ourselves to the newness of God?
Maybe it’s because we humans are prone to divided hearts and contradictory desires. So while we want what is new, we may just as often want what is familiar, too. Familiar things comfort us and are dependable, and in a world full of stress and unpredictability, it’s natural that we turn to reliable comforts, like ordering a deep-dish pizza after a long, stressful day at work. But how do we discern between what is lifegiving and what is stagnating?
Recently, as a result of a car rental snafu, I found myself in a first-class seat on a flight. It was my first time, and it was grand having a seat to myself, stretching out my legs, enjoying fresh-ground coffee splashed with some bourbon. Despite the imposter syndrome, it was the most comfortable flight I’d ever experienced, and it got me thinking: if I had the money, I’d probably buy more privileges like this, because privilege brings comfort, and who wants to be uncomfortable? I’d probably get upset at having to fly coach. Humans want to protect their privileges.
What is familiar is often comfortable, but unchecked comfort can harden into attachment, and attachments make it difficult to perceive the newness of God, because we close off rather than open up. In the gospel, the elders’ attachment to their power and authority closes them off to the new kingdom Jesus is bringing, which encompasses even sinners. What is new is uncomfortable, perhaps at times painful.
Through what people, what situations, what struggles, might we find calls to newness of life? I try to keep in mind that saying of Meister Eckhart: “And suddenly you know: it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”
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