Sarah and I are the proud and thankful owners of an eleven year old Russian Blue cat named Gizmo. I didn't name her. She was a foster pet to many owners and a temporary resident of many basement bathrooms before finally ending up at my house when I was serving in Bellevue, NE. Gizmo (we never could get any other names to stick) has been with me and now Sarah and me both for 5 years. True to her breed, she is very affectionate, very physically bonded, and quite loyal. She loves people, laps, petting, playing, and nearly all close-proximity attention--as long as she's close or touching, she's happy.
Like people, we assume she would also fall in line with other characteristics, given her love for people, attention, and affection. We assume she'd be eager to meet anyone who entered the house, always be getting into whoever's faces she could, and be difficult to chase away. In all truthfulness, Sarah and I are quite sure she actually WOULD act more like this, and that she actually COULD become a nuisance when guests come over, if it weren't for one small thing: fear.
Also true to Gizmo's breed, she displays low capacities to accept change and does not cope well with environmental changes--whether major or minor. Simply put, she's 100% people lover and also 100% fraidy cat. When people come over, Gizmo instantly slinks under our bed, out of view, out of harm. This weekend, as Sarah's and my family both poured into our house to celebrate Sarah's graduation from Physical Therapy school at the UNMC, Gizmo made no exceptions to her rule and bolted for the bed at the sound of the our first guest's voice.
Matthew's gospel, (21:23-27) captures an important moment between Jesus and the chief priests. The priests and elders want to know what authority Jesus is claiming to have as he teaches and heals. Jesus responds asking them to answer him first as he asks by what authority John the Baptist was baptized. The leaders are trapped: if they say John's baptism was from God, they fear being caught believing God was with John but not willing to believe John's words about Jesus. Yet, if they say John's baptism was only done by humans for human reasons, they run the risk of losing credibility from the people they wish to lead. Ultimately, they tell Jesus they don't know the answer. Jesus responds in kind telling them they will not know where his authority comes from either.
The lesson? It's easy to let fear get in the way of what we are truly seeking and wanting most in our lives. The priests and elders were so afraid to be caught having made a mistake they missed a chance to grow and experience truer, fuller life in Jesus, who was standing before them! Likewise, Gizmo grows so afraid of changing circumstances she runs and hides from the very affection she is constantly craving.
Just the same, we as people also miss out daily on the blessings and gifts we desire because of our own fears. We're afraid to get hurt, to be taken advantage of, to look the fool or be caught in a mistake. Instead we play silly games and hide within our comfort zones while the willing world passes us by. This is why trust is such a holy concept and practice. If the priests could have trusted Jesus, they would've found him to be a powerful ally. If our cat could learn to trust the safety we have offered her in our home, she would finally get her affection tank all the way filled. And if we as people would learn to trust that God truly is with us even when we do feel embarrassed or mistaken, I'm assured we'd only be experiencing life a little more fully!
More to come!
Jason <><
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