The lessons for today reveal a tension in our human relationship to God, and certainly to Jesus. We are sometimes so sure we know who God is and what God does. We put a lot of faith in the certainty of our knowledge. But all too often we let the limits of our human knowledge limit the power of God and the work of Jesus in our lives. Gracefully, for us, Jesus keeps challenging that certainty. That is what happened in the lessons today. Some people, the Pharisees in particular, were unable to let go of ideas about God that were frankly not very loving of God or their neighbors. Yet, many people were open to the way Jesus was speaking to them, even if he was speaking to them like no none had even spoken to them before. In fact, that newness of perspective was what most caught their attention. They were hungry for the word of God. It was the people who were most certain they had all the answers who would not listen, because Jesus challenged their authority and their power.
I think Lent is a time that allows us to be more open to how Jesus is speaking to us in ways we had not heard before – to not be so sure we have all the answers. Jesus calls us to give God a fresh listen. Most often, the voice of God comes to us from a different point of view, from those who are marginalized, not those in positions of authority. One of the many blessings I enjoyed as a professor at Creighton University was watching our young people draw on their solid Christian values and knowledge of their faith to listen to Jesus speak to them in ways they had never heard before, in the voices of the marginalized. We gave them a safe place to further discern Christ’s active word in their lives from new perspectives. As a result, they entered more fully into companionship with Christ in ways that not only enriched their own faith, but ways that made a difference in the lives of others.
It is my prayer today that we can all renew our faith as students of the living Christ. I pray we will each listen to the ways Jesus speaks to us like no one has ever spoken to us. We might learn something about ourselves and others, and how much God loves us all.
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
