Which is Greater

Matthew23:17 – “Blind and foolish, for what is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?”

I used to walk every morning for an hour before the sun came up. Walking in Flagstaff one morning, I saw a pine tree planted next to a street lamp. The juxtaposition of two ordinary things one sees everywhere in Flagstaff, enchanted me that morning. As I stood in wonder, I realized that the light glancing off the oily needles went in many directions at once. Someone on the other side of the tree would see something very different. Our vision is limited to our perspective. God is not so limited and sees that tree all lit up from every angle, like a giant scepter of light.

God sees us that way as well. We are all lit up from every angle. We could see this if we would but open our hearts to each other. God’s presence sanctified that tree, sanctified the temple, sanctified the ground Moses was standing on when he took his shoes off, and sanctifies us. God’s presence sanctifies the temple, which then sanctifies the things in the temple. God’s presence sanctifies our lives. God’s presence gave me the vision of ourselves shining like the sun.

Such a vision is a bittersweet gift; it is sweet because it enlarges our hearts, bitter because our lives will never be the same. We will no longer be able to escape into TV every night. We will feel pulled and pushed, prodded and propelled in directions we might not wish to go. Such a vision requires us to work to ensure that all people are treated as if they shine like the sun. Because they do. Such a vision requires us to be intentional about our thoughts and our actions. It requires us to do things we’d rather not do, like speak up. Speaking up is risky. We might get rejected or yelled at. Or worse.

Yet, every single child separated from their parents at the border cries out for justice. Black people have been crying out for justice for centuries. LGBTQIA+ people have been crying out for justice. Women have been crying out for justice. People experiencing homelessness, poverty, or various kinds of disabilities are crying out for justice. Such a vision requires we raise our voices with those crying out for justice rather than escaping into our favorite hobbies and activities. Politics is everyone’s business, as I think a lot of people are finding out in this era.

Opening our hearts to people we care about and love is easy. Opening our hearts to others when they are sick or in need of help is easy. Opening our hearts to others when they are oppressed is easy. But … the vision reminds us that every single member of this congress also carries God’s presence within them. White supremacists, ICE, and the border patrol carry God's presence. They, too, shine like the sun before God. Treating them as such is also required by the vision. That is a difficult calling, but Love knows no bounds. However, like the temple in relation to the gold, those who are oppressed are greater and must be attended to first.

Lord, teach us to love as you love.