I went to mass today and listened to a simple gospel.
“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel,” Jesus proclaimed in announcement of his purpose.
Next, seeing Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew by the sea, he tells, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
They followed.
This was the gospel—no parables, no foreshadowing or metaphor or miracles manifested for purpose to inspire and astound—just plain words, an invitation: “follow me.”
In keeping with the gospel, our father began his homily with further simple truths.
“Much of what we tie and claim as Christian, religion, and dogma have nothing to do with the words Jesus spoke.”
What did Jesus say?
“Follow me.”
Jesus never meant Christianity to be deconstructed to a science, a fixed process to answer or list of laws and commandments as the covenants of the Old Testament. Jesus arrived, and with message, to simplify salvation for all of mankind.
What did he ask?
“Follow me.”
We don’t need to overthink it. We don’t need to make it more than it is. We don’t need an answer before beginning. Faith isn’t meant to complicate, confuse, or make exclusive what is meant as invitation to be accessible and attainable by all.
“Follow me.”
Faith is the decision point and action to will and follow. There is no fixed and exclusionary way.
Don’t overthink it. Let God lead. Faith is the passage and journey lived, discovered, and revealed in our willingness to follow, allow ourselves to be led however, to wherever, Jesus guides our pilgrimage to reach. Answers arrive along the way.
We can pretend our actions and faith’s requirements to be more—obfuscations and complications: mysteries, ecstasies, and revelations and furthermore. To some, these will undoubtedly come; but these are not the way of every path.
Still, we all have a path: a purpose, a piece in God’s greater design; achievable should we accept God’s invitation and allow ourselves to live our purpose and His use.
“Follow me,” or don’t. It’s an invitation, not demand. As creator and source of love, God understands such cannot be commanded but is act and decision of free will; and so he leaves to us the decision.
“Follow me.” It is the greatest invitation a soul will ever receive—to learn one’s self, to learn one’s purpose and place amongst all Creation and the Cosmos by surrender to the grace and guidance of God’s lead.
“Follow me.” It is an invitation—made new and every day and left to our deciding—to will and choose again to go as God guides.
