Ez 16:1-15, 60, 63 / Mt 19:3-12
Some time ago, I had occasion to be present at the funeral of an important public figure, and took the opportunity to do a little people watching. As one might expect, the full spectrum of guests was present, from servants to celebrities. But there was one conspicuous pattern amongst the guests that I had not anticipated. By their carriage, dress, and manner of presenting themselves, it was obvious that for one significant segment of guests the event, at least in their heads, was not about the deceased, but about themselves.
They carried themselves with wearisome self-consciousness, affecting just the right pose, and holding themselves on pins and needles at all times lest they look anything but their best. The deceased was barely even thought of, and the bit of wisdom about life’s fragility, which should come to all of us on such occasions, was lost to them forever.
There’s a danger here for all of us, not just for the well-coiffed and elegantly attired. It’s too easy to take for granted the gift of life, which we’ve had as long as we can remember! Like the unfaithful lover in the reading from Ezechial, we can take God’s gifts as an entitlement and can walk upon the earth with the arrogance of people who think they’re owners instead of just temporary caretakers. There’s no faster way in the world to get hopelessly lost.
So keep clear about who you are and the road will open out before you!
