Is this not Jesus?
In this week’s Gospel John 6: 41-51, Jesus comes offering the people a new, more intimate relationship with God and each other. Yet, they focus in on a statement he made ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven’ and respond ‘how can this be, since we know you and your parents?’
Isn’t this so typical of us that we miss the big picture and see only the details. This morning on our daily walk, Sandee commented to me ‘Overall we have had a wonderful life, there have been times of pain and times of joy, but life together has been good’. I believe she was seeing the big picture.
In a textbook on ‘Adaptive Leadership’ the author says ‘we must often look at the circumstances from the balcony, we must take a bird’s eye view.’ In the book ‘Perspective - The Calm Within The Storm’, the author Robert J Wicks urges us to have a healthy sense of perspective.
So often in life, our pain is caused by a lack of healthy perspective. ‘With a healthy perspective we realize that whatever darkness, suffering, confusion, or potentially addictive attraction may be present in the moment, it is not the end of the story. It is not the last word.’
In the same way, Jesus invites us to rise above the details that often cloud our vision and to see the broader, more profound truth of His message. When we get bogged down by the specifics, like the crowd did with Jesus' origins, we risk missing out on the transformative power of His words.
Sandee’s reflection on our life together reminds me that perspective is important. It allows us to see beyond the immediate, to recognize the larger narrative that God is weaving in our lives and the world. Just as the bread of life offers us sustenance beyond the physical, a healthy perspective nourishes our souls, guiding us through the trials and triumphs of life with a sense of peace and understanding.
By blinkering our eyes to see only the pain and suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, we can fail to see the growth of the Kingdom of God on earth. Similarly if we only focus on the pain in our own lives, we can miss the wonder of life. The injustices aren’t denied or minimized, instead they are faced and explored differently.
This week’s Gospel challenges us to heed the call to a new way of life, a life in the Spirit. Whatever challenges we are facing, let us face them with a healthy perspective. Let us pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us though the darkness with courage, faith and hope.
As we move forward, may we strive to keep our hearts open to the fullness of God’s work in our lives and in the world around us. Let us not be consumed by the struggles we see or experience but instead be uplifted by the promise of God’s enduring presence and love.
With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can navigate our challenges with a steadfast faith, trusting that beyond the pain and confusion, there is a greater purpose and a deeper peace. Let us embrace this new way of life, confident that God’s light will lead us through every trial and into the fullness of His Kingdom.
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In Tuesday’s first readings from Ezekiel 2:8–3:4, it says “Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.”
We refer to Jesus as the Word and in John 6, he compels us to est his flesh and drink his blood. Maybe he’s telling us to eat the Word of God just like Ezekiel was eating the scroll in order to share the Word with others just like Ezekiel was ordered to share the word with the house of Israel.