What divides this community? How can you tell?
IDEA STARTERS
General: Jesus seems a bit out of character in today's Gospel. We like to
think of Jesus as the healer and gentle shepherd. Today he speaks hard, prophetic words.
While Jesus was gentle and kind, he was also strong, clear, and forceful in addressing evil.
If he loved sinners, he hated sin. When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we need to make
sure it is the real Jesus and not one of those bad-art holy cards of years gone by.
No matter how painful or traumatic a prophet's message and no matter how many
people have rejected it, some people do listen and do value the prophet's
words. These faithful people may be a small minority. They are powerful because they live
in the truth.
ADULTS: Adults who have spoken the truth in difficult circumstances may
feel like they have fallen into a cistern, alone and without hope. For them, there may be
nothing more powerful than having someone verify the truth of what they said, as Ebed-
melech did for Jeremiah.
Many adults know the pain of a divided family, whether because of divorce,
addictions, abuse, or other painful circumstances. Jesus' message of division may touch on
these sore points. What is the good news for these hurting adults?
TEENS: Most teens feel misunderstood at one time or another. They may
feel alienated from family over specific issues. A delicate approach to their alienation can
be healing. Teens need to be affirmed that integrity to their values is important; at the
same time they need to be challenged when their values are not in accord with the
Gospel.
Some teens may feel so despondent and misunderstood that they feel like Jeremiah
sitting in the mud. Though it looked like Jeremiah was abandoned by everyone, including
God, a stranger named Ebed-melech came to the rescue. Teens can be reassured that God
will never abandon them, no matter how lost they feel.
Teens know what it is like to cheer for a team or run a race; they recognize the
importance of crowd support, which translates readily to the "cloud of witness," the
communion of saints mentioned in Hebrews. When faced with whether or not to do the
right thing, they can remember their "cheering section" of people who urge them on.
CHILDREN: Saturday morning TV provides children with a collection of
"super heroes." Jeremiah, trapped in a cistern for doing right, can be understood as one of
God's super heroes. Children expect things to turn out right for the "good guys."
Children have experiences of persevering: practicing a musical instrument, learning to
read, learning the multiplication tables. Children can learn that they have many people
who support and encourage them, both on earth and in heaven.
IMAGES/MEDIA
- In the movie Yentl, Barbara Streisand plays a girl disguised as a boy in order
to pursue an education in Judaism. The female character contests the system to show that
women are equally entitled to a religious education; Jesus challenged injustices in his time.
- Before he died, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin pleaded for common ground in the
American church by launching a national dialogue called the "Common Ground Project."
This challenging, historic initiative began in March 1997, during which representatives of
different viewpoints on major issues facing the church met with the goal of understanding
other perspectives rather than attacking them ("The Church in the World," The
Tablet [August 1996].)
- Artists and film makers have represented Jesus in many ways. How would the Jesus
of this Sunday's Gospel be portrayed in a portrait or film?
- Sometimes children and adults risk disapproval when they refuse to participate in a
group that excludes people of different races, religions, or ethnic backgrounds.
What do YOU Think?
Send an e-mail to ML Editor
or post an entry on the ML Current Issue
Discussion Board. (All submissions become the property of RPI and may
be edited for length.) 