“Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18
Every day we are journeying one step closer to our eternal home, and each day gives us opportunities to discover, learn, and enter into fruitful relationships with God and with one another. Every day gives us opportunities to take chances on people and help encourage each other to build up Faith, Hope, and Love. Every day brings endless situations that challenge us. Sometimes these challenges can be exciting. Sometimes these challenges can be grueling. Sometimes these challenges can be outright agonizing. It is in these moments that we realize we cannot do it alone.
As humans, we thrive more fully when we rely on God and others in life. We all need the friendly hand, the person who laughs with us and cries with us. We need the unassuming presence of someone who tells us in a sense I am and I’ve got you. I am your friend, colleague, brother, sister, neighbor, mentor, husband, or wife. I am and I’ve got you!
Those are humbling words that were spoken to Moses in the Burning Bush. Those words scared Moses and those words may scare us. We may say to ourselves, who am I or who are they to act that way? How can we be Christ-like to someone? Where does this confidence come from? The confidence to be Christ-like isn’t from what we have done for ourselves. It is because of what God has done in us, through us, and despite us when we were baptized.
Through God’s Son’s sacrifice on the cross, through His saving act, it has changed us forever. We are being transformed to become the non-burning bush in this world. We become God’s hands and feet on this earth. We are called to help others as Moses did with the people of Israel. He was asked to help them discern how to confront their difficult situation of slavery.
Moses was called to help launch the Israelites onto a journey that would define them forever. We are called on this journey out of slavery of sin. There will be challenges, but as Jesus tells us always, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” This is our Lord telling us “I am and I’ve got you.” So, if we struggle daily to do what is morally right even when those around us take shortcuts, then come to Jesus. If we are burdened with patterns of sin and weaknesses of character that affect our vocation as a spouse, a parent, a friend, a Christian…, then come to Jesus. If life seems unfair and God seems distant at best, then come to Jesus.
We are on this journey of life together for a reason, in this parish together for a reason. As a faith-filled community connected by our love for Jesus, we look to the words of Pope Benedict to help define the vision for St. David Parish:
“Knowing Jesus is the best gift that any person can receive; that we have encountered him is the best thing that has happened in our lives, and making him known by our word and deeds is our joy.”
These words will provide us our guiding light as we move forward over the next few years to implement the plan for St. David as a Next Generation Parish. We are all called to humbly accept the helping hand of those around us who offer to us the I am and I’ve got you people of God. We are also called to take chances on people and to offer that same act to others when it is needed.