There are two old sayings at work in today’s Gospel reading. The first is “Birds of a feather flock together,” and the second, “Opposites attract.”
Human nature probably dictates that the “Birds of a feather flock together” adage controls most of our lives. If we had the choice of sitting next to someone we didn’t know on a plane or taking the seat next to a family member or coworker, most would opt for the familiar. If we were given the choice of eating our Sunday dinner at grandmother’s house or being a guest at a wild game dinner party, grandma would win out 99 percent of the time. Why not? We would be seated with our family and in grandma’s comfortable house. Can you think of a better way to end the weekend?
But, as Matthew points out, Jesus wants us to step away from the familiar and embrace change, to test and challenge our beliefs. The best way to do that is not by continually reinforcing our beliefs by associating with people like us, but rather, to reach out and engage with those who are different.
If we are to follow Matthew’s words, will we actively seek out strangers on a plane to sit next to or decline grandma’s next dinner invite? Probably not. But hopefully, we will learn that we need to see each person, different as they may be from us, as a child of God who wants to be seen, heard and loved, just like each of us.
So, as we do our Daily Examen of Conscience and focus on gratitude, let us not only be grateful for the family, friends and coworkers who enrich our lives and give us so much meaning and enjoyment, but also for those who differ from us. Their attitudes, beliefs and lives enrich our lives and provide us with countless opportunities to share God’s infinite love.
Maybe this is what Christ was modeling for us when he invited lowly tax collectors and sinners to dine with him.
Steve Scholer
I came to Creighton to attend law school in 1976 and following 5 years of private practice I started what I thought would be a 4 year job to help Fr. James Hoff, S.J. raise funds for the Campaign for Creighton. Little did I know that the many wonderful people I would soon meet, both here on campus and across the entire country, over the next few years would lead me to stay and continue to support the mission of this University. My wife is a Creighton graduate and our son, Frank, is a Xavier undergraduate and Creighton law graduate. Our daughter, Paige, has both her undergraduate and master’s degree from Creighton.
I do not participate in social media websites so posting my personal interpretation about what the readings mean to me is a novel experience for me. However, being required to put pen to paper forced me to become more reflective about what God is really trying to say to me and this has helped me in my daily prayer life - to slow down and let the Word of God dwell within me instead of racing through the daily devotions.
