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February 27, 2020In today’s first reading, Moses is putting forth two options for the people: life and prosperity, death and doom. The blessing or the curse. This was the moment for the people to lay claim to their identity: would they be God’s chosen people, or would they be just like every nation around them? In a way, it seems like Moses was holding out his two fists and inviting the people to pick one. To choose the latter would be to choose death, for Moses warned them, “If you turn away your hearts and will not listen, you will certainly perish.” But there was another hand to choose: the way of God, the way of life. “If you obey the commandments, you will live, and the Lord will bless you. Choose life!”
I don’t know about you, but when I read or hear this passage, I usually imagine major life decisions: should I enter religious life? Should we start a family? What college should I go to? These kinds of questions, however, allow us to make a decision based on two goods. But what about the decisions we make on a daily basis. They aren’t always the easiest ones to answer. Should I step in when I see someone being bullied? How should I respond when someone makes a sexist or racist joke? What do I say when someone on a street corner asks for help or money? How do I counter a blatant lie? We know the right answer, but it’s not always easy to respond that way because we know it could cost us something. It’s in these moments that we are asked to pick up our daily cross and consider who do I want to be. For what purpose have I been created? How can I be a blessing rather than a curse for another person?
Through the waters of baptism, we’ve become followers of Jesus. Like the people of Israel before us, we have a choice to make: to be God’s chosen sons or daughters, living our discipleship with honesty, authenticity, and integrity or choosing otherwise and other ways. Which hand will you pick this Lenten season?
