Run, run… and I will find you.
“Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence where can I flee?” (Psalm 139)
The list of “woes to you” in Matthew Ch. 23 is harsh. The scribes and pharisees are in trouble, and they have no clue. They fixate on the threat: Jesus, a subverter of law, must be stopped. Nothing else matters. They are sure of being righteous. Sure, their hands are clean. Of course they would never have persecuted the prophets of old. Their zeal to entrap Jesus doesn’t register. The blind fury of their ancestors runs in their veins.
Sometimes being certain clouds our vision. We hide behind certainty, so we don’t need to see. Mostly we don’t want to peer within. Tombs were whitewashed by the Israelites so that people would not accidentally risk impurity by brushing up against the dead. The white stones alert the passerby. But to neglect our soul is the greater danger. Jesus claims to uncover dead men within the scribes and pharisees. They are in trouble. This rousing wake-up call is needed. To lose the habit of self-reflection is peril. Out of touch with myself leaves me a ruthless critic of others. Jesus sounds the alarm, so these dead men can live again.
Like the scribes and pharisees, we often run from our inner lives. Do we fear the stench of failure, the debris of disappointment? Have weeds overtaken the garden? Will anything grow? Jesus lays down a challenge: you can run but I am on your trail. You can neglect the garden, but it will not die. I will find you.
The unabashed love that God has for us is shocking. It is liberating to be known by another. It is astonishing to be known and loved. God exhorts us like “a father treats his children.” Wherever we run, we are not far from home. To glimpse this love can bring us home.
Nancy Shirley
I returned to Creighton in December 2003 having previously taught at Creighton from 1980-1989 and involved in many campus activities including ILAC and CEC House. Since returning, assumed Faculty and Administrative roles on both Omaha and Phoenix campus prior to retirement August 2022. Served as the Nursing Director for ILAC from 2013 – 2021 and as a reservist in the Army Nurse Corps for 23 years.
I am a grateful child of God, wife, mother, nana, and retired nursing professor. My husband and I met at church and have walked this extraordinary journey together experiencing CEC in 2004 and growing more committed to our beliefs. In addition to my husband, I am blessed with a wonderful daughter and son, who in turn are blessed with wonderful partners. My son’s four children bring us all endless joy and delight. My daughter’s daughter (our youngest grandchild in Phoenix) has been a true gift beyond description. In early 2023, I became a Great-grandma!! I am now retired faculty at Creighton having taught nursing here from 1980-1989 and returned “home” in 2003 to teach nursing at all levels and to administer the undergraduate program on both campuses until 2022. My mantra has been My life is God’s gift to me; what I do with my life is my gift to God!!
Now in retirement, I appreciate more and more all the ways that I find God in my life especially through my family and garden and through music and song. I find listening to Christian music daily in the car keeps the right message in my head. It is, indeed, a blessing to be part of this ministry. Writing reflections is an opportunity to ponder the readings deeply in my heart and to share those musings and some music that further touches my soul. I am a recipient of God’s grace with each one I write.
