Believe – Just Believe! 

This past week I have been re-binge watching Ted Lasso (* See Reference Below) on Apple TV.  Although the show deals with the complexity of contemporary human nature, and human relationships, its basic premise is this, Ted Lasso, a successful American football coach has been hired by a British football club (soccer) to be their coach.  Let the hilarity ensue! 

The first season, as Ted is trying to build the team, as well as get his mind around British football and British culture, Ted creates a sign for his team.  A sign he posts over the doorway of the team’s locker room.  A sign that his players see each time they walk out of the locker room.  A sign with big, bold letters on it that says, BELIEVE!  At the end of the second season, an assistant coach, whose ego started to get a bit too big for his britches, quits the team and in a moment of anger rips the sign in two.  The sign, now taped together Ted hangs back on the wall, but at the most inopportune times, the tape would come undone, and the word belief would start to fall off the wall.

On our celebration of the Solemnity of the Annunciation, we find readings and characters, also dealing with signs, needing signs to help their unbelief.  In our first reading today from Isaiah, Isaiah speaks plainly, when speaking to Ahaz, and through Ahaz, to us.  Isaiah sternly says to Ahaz (and to us), ‘STOP wearying the Lord’.  Ahaz’s ego becomes too big for his britches; his will becomes what he believes in and he does not believe in God’s love, God’s sign.  Ahaz says he does not want to tempt the Lord for a sign to help his belief, even though the Lord clearly says to him that he will give him a sign.  Ahaz, if the Lord wants to give you a sign take it. 

People of God, the Lord is constantly giving us grace-filled signs of his love to us every day, in every possible.  No matter how bad life is, God graces us with so many things, things for which we can be grateful.  The greatest sign of all God has given was the gift of God’s self in human form, a son, a son whose divine love for us, we just and continue to celebrate, as forever resurrected.  Now that is a sign one can believe in. 

No amount of sacrifices and sin offerings are going to make God offer a sign of divine love. That love has been, is, and forever will be given.  And God’s love, well God’s love IS the sign.  God’s will (essence) is love and that love is freely given to all of us, God’s special and unique children.  God in Jesus and the Holy Spirit of their love that remains is the only sign we need.  As Mary believed, and said ‘Yes’ to God’s love for her so should we always and forever.  Divine love actually is all around us.

In the third, and final season of Ted Lasso, at a moment when one half of the BELIEVE sign starts to fall again, Ted Lasso rips the sign off the wall, tears it to pieces, and says,  “Belief doesn’t just happen because you hang something on a wall.  It comes from in here [he points to his heart], and up here [his head] and down here [his gut].  The only problem is, we’ve all got so much junk floatin’ through us, a lot of times we end up gettin’ in our own way.  Crap like envy, or fear — shame.”  (* See Reference Below).

No sign is needed, no sacrifices or blood offering is needed, and most definitely no crap like envy fear and shame.  Only belief is needed, and our yes to that belief.  Jesus cries out to us, do not fear, believe, believe for it is only love after all.  Rev. Kent A. Beausoleil, SJ

 *** Sudeikis, J. (Writer), Lawrence, B. (Writer), Hunt, B. (Writer) & Lipsey, M. (Director).  (2023, April 12).  Signs.  (Season 3, Episode 5) [Apple TV series episode]. In J. Kelly, B. Lawrence, and B. Hunt’s (Creators), Ted Lasso.  Apple Television Productions.