Yeah, I know the subject is a little “click baity,” but since you’re here…
My usual morning routine begins with a quiet, contemplative sit in my chair (otherwise known as Bud’s contemplative corner). This usually consists of 21 minutes of silence, breathing, prayer, and maybe some slow reading. Since we got a puppy for Christmas though, my mornings have been a little disrupted as you might imagine. Puppies don’t like to sit still. Shocker!
So this year I’ve been using the Lectio 365 app in the mornings while I engage in games of puppy tug-o-war and poorly executed fetch with a stuffed chipmunk. The app is so helpful because it guides me through meditation and reflection – much in the same way that we do together on the first Sunday of every month. (I can happily say though that the pup’s new morning routine is napping in my lap while I have my sit. Balance has been restored to The Force.)
One of the reflections this week was on Matthew 25:34-40. Give it a read.
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
“Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’…”
What struck me most was the commentary that Lonnie Collins Pratt wrote in response to this text. He said, “Jesus told his followers: If you ignore them, you ignore me. If you feed them, you feed me. So [Saint] Benedict tells his monks, receive every person as if you are receiving Christ [themself]. Simple statement. Huge goal.”
Such a statement requires great contemplation. And I find myself with probing questions. Perhaps you can ruminate on these as well.
What do I see when I look at another person?
Do I see Christ?
Do I want to see Christ?
What do I need from God in order to see another person as Christ?
Picture someone you love, someone very dear to you. Look at them in your mind’s eye and see Christ. How will your interactions with them change?
Picture someone you’re in conflict with, someone you’d like to avoid. Look at them in your mind’s eye and see Christ. How will your interactions with them change?
If you’re not ready to engage in that second part, go back to the question: what do I need from God in order to see them as Christ? Trust that God, who loves and honors our desires to be formed into Christlikeness, will meet your needs.
May we all be transformed by the ever-accepting, all-encompassing, all-embracing love of God.