Treasure in Heaven
‘Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
I can barely believe that it is nine months since I left the hospital – there is much that I do not miss – the politics, the bureaucracy, the demands of the
on-call. But some things I inevitably miss – time spent with the patients, the staff and the opportunities I had to work with colleagues of other faiths who were a constant inspiration to me and who taught me so much about the love of God. The multi-faith prayer room was opened alongside my office. It was called multi-faith, but in reality it was used predominantly by the many members of staff who followed the faith of Islam. Because of our close proximity, I was very much aware of the comings and goings of my male colleagues as they would visit the Prayer Room several times a day to pray. And I would know that if I passed by the Chapel of peace, the women would be there also. Their discipline was an inspiration. And with the arrival of Ramadan, the activity intensified, and was accompanied by their fasting from sunrise to sunset. And that fasting did not just apply to food but to fluids also – nothing would pass their lips until the fast was broken at sunset when dates would be the first food to be taken – dates that would also be left in the Chapel on occasions for all to share. As someone who loves food and who, I must confess, does not have a terribly strong will when it come to abstinence from food, I was in awe. And I would become aware that on Saturdays, the fathers would bring their young sons with them who like Benedict, Edward and other younger members of our congregation would soak up the atmosphere and ritual of prayer and worship, learning without really knowing it.
As the hospital community approached Ash Wednesday and travelled through Lent I could not help reflecting on the apparent differences in terms of prayer, worship and fasting, for in truth an outsider looking in would not necessarily have realised that the Christian community was embarking upon a spiritually significant part of the year for nothing really changed, and I have to admit, it saddened me. They do say that hospitals are a microcosm of wider society, so I suspect my experience would have been no different to any other part of Kettering, Corby or Wellingborough.
I remember talking to one of my Muslim friends about his fasting, how difficult it must have been for him to maintain his fast during a very busy day. He agreed that at times it was, but he also said that when he felt hungry his mind was drawn back to God and his dependence upon God and to prayer – and that was a fundamentally important aspect of his fast. Secondly, he was reminded of the plight that thousands of people face day by day as they struggle to feed themselves and their families for want of enough food and clean water – and that was a reminder to him to be generous to those who have so little – also important aspect of Ramadan spiritually and practically. He went on to tell me that he believed God enabled and strengthened him to persevere for the experience of Ramadan drew him closer to God.
And that in essence is what our Lenten journey is all about – it is an invitation to journey deeper into the heart of God, that we might become more fully the people God created us to be. To aid our spiritual journey, we are encouraged to become more aware of ourselves and our relationships with each other through self examination; through repentance expressed by some people in formal personal confession; through prayer and meditation; through the reading and the study of scripture; and through fasting.
That journey begins today, a journey which in many ways reminds us that we are called to live a life counter to modern day culture.
In a world which appears to find it almost impossible to admit fault and to say sorry – we are called to do it over and over again every day – to our friends, our family and loved ones, in our places of work, to each other and to God. In a few moments time, we will be invited to kneel at the altar and receive on our heads the cross of ashes – a symbol of our sorrow and penitence, and a reminder of the part we play in the pain of the world. That cross reminds us too that it is only by Gods grace and not in our own strength that we are enabled to travel our own wilderness journey that will inevitably lead us to the pain and darkness of our own Good Fridays. But as we travel, we travel with the knowledge that after every Good Friday, there is the joy, delight and hope of the Easter dawn.
In a society which has become increasingly dominated by consumerism, where food is plentiful and there is a growing tendency to over eat, we are called to a time of fasting and self denial, however that might manifest itself in our individual disciplines.
In a world that is frustratingly dominated by noise and the instant communication of mobile phones, text messaging, and emails, all requiring immediate responses, canned music where ever you go in stores and on the iPod, of the person sitting next to you, we are called to a time of stillness, quiet, and reflection – what a gift. We are called to our private, secret moments with God – lover and beloved together, to look and listen attentively.
In a society which seems to do all in its power to deny death, where medical science and medical technology strive to keep us alive, sometimes at great human as well as financial cost, we are here this evening embarking on a spiritual journey which will powerfully remind us that there can be no denial of death. From dust we come and to dust we shall return. It is a humbling thought.
Dominic has encouraged us to read and reflect upon St. Luke’s Gospel with the guidance of Tom Wright. We have been given opportunities to gather together at different times during the week to listen to others and to discuss among ourselves the meaning of the Cross in terms of our Christian faith, but also in terms of our own personal experience and understanding. We are encouraged to take the opportunities given to us to worship together – not just on Sundays, but at different times throughout the week so that in and through the Eucharist, our times of prayer together, we may receive the strength and support needed on our journey.
But central to all of this is the unending and extravagant love of God who hates nothing that he has made – nothing in all creation – no creature, no person, no part of this extraordinary universe and beyond - is outside that wonderful all embracing love. This journey upon which we embark today is an invitation to draw us deeper into that relationship of love. It is an invitation to drop the masks we so often feel we have to show to the world, for in truth God loves us as he created us, loves us as he sees us in secret – there is no need for pretence. What a different world this could be if we would let go of the masks that we hide behind, or believe give us power and control over another.
Let us use all the opportunities that this season gives us, to turn around and become more Christ like in our dependence upon God and in our relationships with each other and accept the invitation to journey closer to the heart of God. Who knows what treasure He will lead us to discover!
Lesley McCormack, 17th February, 2010
