A life less optional

In last week’s gospel, Jesus refers to God’s command. It is a word that strikes my ear with great difficulty. I am thoroughly an American after all, and the idea of freedom is always central.

It is also a word we associate with the military – in the form of commands coming to us as orders to be followed and in the chain of command.

But for people of faith, these concepts represent a real challenge to the ethos of our age. Or as Jesus puts it: human tradition.

Perhaps more fascinating to the faithful is to measure our reaction to the idea of putting God’s interests first. Not just in theory, but in practice. Not because we are to have no freedom, but because we are taught by human tradition to demand total freedom.

Like the example of the child, who wants it all, demands it all, and cannot comprehend why Mom won’t give it all. And really, the Mom is simply saying “No. We have other plans for tonight.”