Nativity Catholic Church
|
|
Warning! "This Product
Only Gives the Appearance Of" I suppose it’s due to the aging of the dreaded “Baby Boomer” generation, but there seems to be an awful lot of creams, treatments, lotions and potions that are intended to attack WRINKLES! Many of them come with much ballyhooed dermatological endorsements, scientific studies (probably on mice wrinkles), and “before-and-after” photos. While the words proclaiming one’s salvation from wrinkles if only the consumer uses this potent product, the words that carry the legal babble that protects the manufacturer from false advertising are usually so microscopic that no “boomer” or even a recipient of day-old corrective laser surgery could read them! As I have humorously perused these product statements, and chuckled about their promised regeneration of sagging, corduroy-ribbed skin, I have detected a not-so-surprising common thread running through their near-miraculous claims. It usually goes something like this: THIS PRODUCT ONLY REDUCES THE APPEARANCE OF WRINKLES! The “appearance” of wrinkles—gee, there are other, less costly ways to reduce the “appearance” of crows feet or that extra chin—like turning off the lights, wearing a higher neckline, or donning Audrey Hepburn sunglasses. And that’s precisely the hitch…we seem to engage in a lot of activities in our lives where we simply manipulate the “appearance” of things, rather than address the substance, the heart and soul of things. In our world, one can even make a living out of changing the appearances of things so the general public stays ill informed about the reality of a given situation. We call it, putting a different “spin” on the subject. In matters of living our faith as sons and daughters of God, and members of the Body of Christ, we can too easily get caught up in saying and doing things which only give the “appearance” of discipleship rather than proclaiming and witnessing the challenging depth and beauty of the real deal. At least the advertisers, albeit reluctantly, have to qualify their outrageous claims by slipping in a consumer warning about “appearances” over substance. Maybe we would be more honest and authentic if each of us were to wear a little tag behind our ear that stated (in equally fine print as the latest wrinkle serum): THIS FOLLOWER JESUS ONLY GIVES THE APPEARANCE OF DISCIPLESHIP! As we celebrate Easter Sunday, and set out to traverse the coming weeks of the Easter Season, far too glorious and significant to reserve to a single Sunday, I’m thinking a lot about “appearances” simply because that word is used frequently in the New Testament in speaking about the actions of the Resurrected Jesus. Today, and in the weeks to come, we read continuously about his many “appearances,” and how there were even more that never made their way into print. I wonder, did Jesus of Nazareth, condemned and executed as a common criminal, truly APPEAR as the Risen Lord of glory, the Christ of the Father…or did his apostles and disciples only experience the “appearance” of new life, a yearning and longing for something that would redirect their guilt, fear, and despair? It would seem that the writers of the Gospels clearly want to express that this Jesus, whom the Father raised from the dead, is indeed “no ghost.” He eats, and sleeps, and bears wounds that can be touched, and walks, and cooks, and continues to speak words of comfort, consolation, forgiveness, and promise. But at first, much like the apostle Thomas, whose doubts are bared before all to see, every one of the disciples seems to be merely giving the “appearance” of recommitting to their Lord and Master whom God raised. They work the “spin” control; they go through the motions; they stumble along with bare minimums; they half-heartedly give it the old college try. Not until the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the great day of Pentecost are they convinced that living in the Lord Jesus, celebrating his Resurrection, and going forth in mission are commitments that go far beyond “appearances.” No, this way of life, the life of being baptized through water and the Holy Spirit is about SUBSTANCE…not “appearance.” As the presence of the Risen Lord Jesus visits us in these weeks to come; as we clearly witness his new life shining through our Neophytes (those baptized into our community at the Easter Vigil); as we see those who were previously baptized into other families of Christianity coming to the Lord’s Table in the Catholic Church; as we contemplate the Gospel “appearances” of the Risen Lord—what will we make of all this for ourselves? In raising Christ from the dead, God the Father RADICALLY changed his only begotten Son into the Christ, the Lord of all creation. And having been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, God intends something RADICAL to happen to us—not just at the end of our earthly life—but here and now, right smack in the middle of it! How much of this life in Christ is mere “appearance” for you? How much of this life in the Risen Christ can be so much more for you? The world certainly doesn’t need more Christians walking around with warning labels about “appearances.” The world needs what Jesus Christ gave us—the REAL THING! HAPPY EASTER! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!
|
