My friends, again this week, we can sense an “urgency” in the Scripture readings for this 5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  The 1^st reading from Job, while a lament to God of all that isn’t “right” in his life, his urgency is more about the mundane things of life: “How long before I get up?” I can relate to his sentiment on nights when I can’t get to sleep!

   But more seriously, Job is a prime example of a faith-filled life amid the troubles that can come to us in our earthly journey.  We all know the story of Job and the losses he experienced—the deaths of his wife and children—the loss of all his animals and material wealth.  And if that wasn’t enough, he also was afflicted with a terrible skin disease.  If ever a person had reason to doubt in God and whether that God cared for him, that person was Job.  Yet, in the fuller story that we didn’t read today, Job will not hear any criticism of God from his friends.  His stance is to believe and to hope. 

   In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we see his “urgency” playing out more so, in his “lack of choice,” he feels, about what he must do in life.  He lets us know that he has been “called” to preach and that is what he must do! From the rest of the reading today and in other places, we get the idea that he doesn’t follow his call, grudgingly, but just that it is something he feels compelled to do. In other words, he can’t imagine not doing what he is doing. 

   And, I get that notion of having to do a thing, whatever it might be, when I think of my own call to be ordained.  Intellectually, I knew, in a black and white way, that to the hierarchy of our Church, my action would not be acceptable and that there might be consequences, but for me too, like Paul, there was no consideration of, “not doing this thing,” once I knew it was actually possible, because I was listening to “a higher authority.”

   Perhaps you, in your own lives, can point to a personal decision you made that wasn’t necessarily accepted by all because something else was expected of you, but you listened to your heart, and not just your head, moving into it. 

   In Mark’s gospel today, we see “the urgency” that Jesus felt in his ministry, by not allowing himself to, “stay put,” as it were, in one place, becoming comfortable with those who, “loved and appreciated” him and what he was doing among the people there. His urgency was about “moving on,” and sharing with as many people as possible. 

   At this point, we might consider if we, in our spiritual lives, following our brother Jesus, and perhaps we could simply name it, “being our best selves,” look at what should really be, a daily task, with any urgency.  Are we compelled every day to choose good over evil? This might mean choosing simply, to say a kind word, rather than a “snarky” one in our relating to others.  It might mean choosing to do the little bit we can do, over choosing to do nothing.  Elie Wiesel, holocaust survivor of concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald said, “the opposite of love isn’t hate, but indifference.” 

   In our complaining, as Job does in the 1^st reading, do we ever consider, “being the change we want to see?” Job, in the end, “carries the faith” for his faithless friends, and that faith sustains him. 

   Paul lets us know how he follows his call to preach—he becomes “weak” to win the weak, and in fact, he says, “I have become all things to all people to win at least one.”  Robert has told me through the years of our ministry here at All Are One, we are a success if we help just one!

   But with regard to Paul’s notion of, “becoming weak to win the weak,” I have been reading a book, entitled, From Generosity to Justice: A New Gospel of Wealth, by Darren Walker who basically says the same as Paul. Walker says that while meeting the emergent needs of the marginalized, as we have come to call the basically, poor and those without a voice, is important; equally important is to get at the root of why people are poor, or don’t have a voice. He says, we must bring these folks “to the table,” hear their stories and let them be part of the solution.  Interestingly, this is what our board has been about this past year in attempting to get our local bishop who says he “wants to get down with the sheep,” to have conversation with us.

   Additionally, I have to say that I am saddened by the lack of vision within many of our Church hierarchy and priests who are tied to a black and white view of the importance of what we do within Church communities.  For too many of them, it is about “power and control,” and when it comes to women asking to share the ministry of Jesus with them, they are afraid. Why else would they name the calls of women to priestly ministry, “play-acting?” Clearly, they don’t understand the power of “call” in a person’s life—as in Job, in Paul, and in Jesus—it is something one simply must do! 

   Today, we are presented with three men, “doing what they must do,” and I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the women throughout history who have followed the “call,” the same as the men, but have been belittled, unappreciated, unnamed, and considered, less than their male counterparts. 

   We can begin with Mary, our mother and sister, who said her “yes” to God to do simply, unimaginable things for the good of the world in giving us Jesus, Mary Magdala (the Tower—what magdala actually means), who took the news of the Resurrection to the fearful men in the upper room, Catherine of Siena, who spoke truth to power, to the pope she was counseling, Mother Alfred, founder of the Rochester, Minnesota Franciscan Sisters, who was ridiculed and put down by several men of the Church, yet ultimately made this order of Sisters, and another order she founded along the way, to flourish, as well as being ultimately responsible for the birth of St. Mary’s hospital and the whole medical complex that came from it. 

   I call our attention to the fact that this month, Black History Month, we can remember Women of Color, Sojourner Truth, and Fannie Lou Hamer, so significant in the fight for racial equality, among others—Sister Thea Bowman and many others unnamed who almost unbelievably had to fight within Catholic orders of Sisters against racism. 

   I just began reading a new book, authored by two women, Katty Kay, a news correspondent for the BBC, and Claire Shipman, journalist, and public speaker, entitled, The Power Code: More Joy, Less Ego, Maximum Impact for Women (And Everyone).  I’m only in the introduction, but even from that, I believe they will be making the case that we are all better, men as well as women, regardless of race, religion, or anything else, when we value the work of all, uplift everyone’s contributions, instead of making it a competition, and for women, the proverbial, “glass ceiling to be broken.” 

   So friends, I believe it is good to remember that there are more women called, as there are men, to do wonderful things in this world—we can all probably name mothers, grandmothers, teachers, friends who, in their lives were most “urgent” about sharing Jesus’ and others, good news, and with regard to Jesus, the news that we each, all, are mightily loved, appreciated, and cared for by our God, and as followers of Jesus, expected to do the same! 

   And if this all seems, “too much,” Francis of Assisi’s words are fitting, “Preach at all times—if necessary, use words.” I believe Job, Paul, Jesus, the Mary’s, Catherine, Francis, and Clare, and all the others, probably did both—actions and words, and we can too! Amen? Amen!