Wishful Thinking
Think again of that message from Jesus toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount when he says,
“So whatever you wish that others would do for you, do also to them, this is the essence of all that is taught in the Law and the Prophets.”
We know this colloquially as the Golden Rule, but it really stands as so much more than a platitude to be cross-stitched and hung on grandma’s kitchen wall. Let’s tease it out a bit this morning.
The verse is about wishful thinking. We all entertain these thoughts and can spend lots of time longing for this or that to be different from our experience. We easily imagine times when we wish we were seen and heard, or treated better, or recognized for our hard work, or remembered to be invited to join in. Our list of wishes can seem to never end. But this Jesus-nugget reverses the flow of our desires and takes our wishful thinking in a new direction. Instead of having unfulfilled wishes become a seed bed for resentment or depression, they become a launch pad for whole new ways of living.
I can't recall thinking about this verse in these terms until I read an article by Jen Wilkin, who discusses this familiar idea in a way that makes, to me, a lot of sense. Here is a snippet:
“We are not wrong to hold these wishes. They illustrate the basic human need to be known, loved, and accepted. And what we do with how we feel about our wishes, met and unmet, will shape the course of our lives. …Put simply, Jesus tells us to do what we wish, for others. …We give the encouragement we wish we had received, and we show the honor we wish we would be shown. We cherish as we wish to be cherished and serve as we wish to be served.”
Now, that spins my thinking around from focusing on me and my needs into a chance to be the hands and voice of Jesus in the lives of folks I run into along the way. The ways this can look when I take my wishes and point them toward others are limitless.
Rather than bemoaning the coarseness of the culture, look for chances to be kind
Ask how they are, listen, then pray on the spot for them
Lend to another your courage
Cheer a person on, like family with signs along a marathon route
Invite others in
Comfort in practical ways beyond "thoughts and prayers"
Acknowledge that person working in the background
Note-write
Bake and take
Call that single shut-in
Include at your table or party
Remember birthdays and anniversaries
In short, treat the people you meet in the practical ways you wish you were treated, but often are not. Like much of the Sermon on the Mount, this simple line from Jesus is a subversive, life-changing challenge to his followers to move from one way of living to a new life in him and his ways of doing things, his kingdom come.
Amazingly, when we test these waters and begin to follow what Jesus says for us to do, many of our needs will quietly be met along our path, and the ones that remain may shrink to their proper size. Sense your wishes. Sift out the worthwhile from the trivial, and be on the lookout for ways to fill the wish list of another of your neighbors who have similar wishes to your own.
When we behave in these ways we salute the truth that life is a team game, played individually. Those around us are family. And this way of seeing and living in the world directly swims against the contemporary torrential current of individualism where folks are more and more alone in their silos stuffed with unfulfilled wishes.
So, do what you wish for. Act along the lines of the desires you hold close. Communicate the love you have received from Jesus to those feeling unloved. In short, do whatever you wish, today.
It's Cello Tuesday...(for Erika, on your new adventure)
...and a couple of jokes for the road
On their 50th wedding anniversary, a couple summed up the reason for their long and happy marriage.
The husband said, "I have tried never to be selfish. After all, there is no 'I' in the word 'marriage.'"
The wife said, "For my part, I have never corrected my husband's spelling."
__________
...and in honor of summer vacations, here are 9 Rules for Travelers
No flight ever leaves on time unless you are running late and need the delay to make the flight.
If you are running late for a flight, it will depart from the farthest gate within the terminal.
If you arrive very early for a flight, it inevitably will be delayed.
Flights never leave from Gate #1 at any terminal in the world.
If you must work on your flight, you will experience turbulence as soon as you touch pen to paper. Or start to drink your coffee. Or try to type on your laptop.
If you are assigned a middle seat, you can determine who has the seats on the aisle and the window while you are still in the boarding area. Just find the two largest passengers.
Only passengers seated in window seats ever have to get up to go to the bathroom.
The crying baby on board your flight is always seated next to you.
The less carry-on luggage space available on an aircraft, the more carry-on luggage passengers will bring aboard.