Reality vs. Illusion
From Helen
I recently read about a series of mistakes and misunderstandings in an advert in a newspaper. The advert was for a TV set for sale. The series of adverts were:
Monday: "The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colour TV set for sale. Telephone 626131 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him, cheap."
Tuesday: "We regret any embarrassment caused to Rev. Jones by a typographical error in yesterday's paper. The ad should have read: 'The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colour TV set for sale, cheap...Telephone 626131 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley, who lives with him after 7 p.m.'"
Wednesday: "The Rev. A.J. Jones informs us that he has received several annoying telephone calls because of an incorrect ad in yesterday's paper. It should have read: 'The Rev. A.J. Jones has one colour TV set for sale, cheap. Telephone 626131 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who loves with him.'"
Thursday: "Please take notice that I, the Rev. A.J. Jones, have no colour TV set for sale; I have smashed it. Don't call 626131 anymore. I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Donnelley. She was, until yesterday, my housekeeper.'"
Friday: "Wanted: a housekeeper. Usual housekeeping duties. Good pay. Love in, Rev. A.J. Jones. Telephone 626131.
In our readings today we heard about mistakes, misunderstanding and not getting the point. In Ecclesiastes (!:2,12-14;2:18-23) we heard of someone being really down and seeing all that was done in life as being for nothing, except for working and working with no result. It is a person who sees themselves as on a treadmill of doing the same thing and blames God for the fact that they need to keep busy in order to live. Talk about making a mistake and missing the point of what was really important. I heard of a Church once who received a huge amount of money in someone’s will. The money came after the persons will had been read, and the people in the Church complained that as the money had been earmarked for them if they had it earlier it would have gained interest and then they would have more money. Talk about missing the point.
In the reading from Colossians (3:1-11) we heard of a new life, a life that had moved past all the old ways of living and now wanted to think of the difference that being a follower of Jesus made. There is the idea that yes, people could turn to their old ways and live life in a different way but this would completely miss the point of what Jesus had brought them. Life with Jesus was better, and yes they would have to give things up but the reward was so much better in the end.
In the gospel reading (Luke 12:13-21) we heard of two brothers going to Jesus to ask them to settle a disagreement. Jesus responded by telling a story of a man who tried to make life better for himself by making his possessions bigger and better, a man who was so busy protecting his wealth that he neglected other more important things like thinking of what was really important.
There is misunderstanding in the readings, but there is also missing the point. The man in Ecclesiastes and all the men in the gospel had completely missed out on what was really important. It is almost as if they had an illusion of what was the best and had missed out on the reality of God’s love and all that He had done for them.
This love is spoken of in the epistle reading. It is a love that talks of a new life, a better way.
In the reading we are urged to focus on the right things, to think of things that are above and get rid of earthly thoughts – by this Paul didn’t mean giving up on our lives here, he didn’t mean hiding ourselves away, but he meant concentrating on the things upon which the kingdom of God is built –forgiveness, love, care, compassion, tolerance, hope.
We will make mistakes but God always forgives us. He doesn’t want us to see life as pointless and worthless like the man in Ecclesiastes, or to lose out on knowing His love and forgiveness. God reaches out to us with His love and all we need to do is enjoy !
It’s not as if the words of Colossians that talked of our old life, and spoke about all the things that we need to steer clear off is a checklist that if we break will stop God loving us. It is a list of all the good things that come which are lasting and far beyond everything else.
This is reality. This is truth, this is everything that we need.
There’s a story about a little girl who went to the bank manager and asked for help to raise money for a girl’s club she was part of. The manager laid out before her a 50p piece and a £5 note and asked her to take her choice as to which one she wanted. She picked up the 50p piece and said, ‘my mum always tells me to take the smallest piece.’ But picking up the £5 note as well she added, ‘But so I won’t lose this 50p piece, I’ll wrap it in this paper !’
Perhaps we can all see ourselves as the 50p piece, but see God’s love as the £ 5 note – and may we all wrap ourselves in that love, that protecting, caring, strengthening, empowering love, this is the point of things, this is reality. It’s not something that we have made and built up ourselves it is the love of God almost like a blanket into which we can fall.
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