As we discussed various aspects of prayer — who we pray to, where we pray, the various form the prayers take, etc., etc. I was again aware of the diversity within the community. Some prefer liturgy, some prefer free prayer. Meditation is helpful to some, others like movement. Some have created special places to pray, while still others love to be outside experiencing creation. Some use prayer beads, others don’t. It all wove together like a rich tapestry. No way is better or superior to any other, it is all about each person communicating with God in the way that is most meaningful to them.
But, why do we want to live a balanced life? Of course, part of the answer is we want to be healthy, both physically and spiritually. Yet, there is also an outward reason — we want to live a balanced life so we can love, serve and forgive others (sound familiar!).
Today, the lectionary text talks about four men who dropped everything to go and love and serve others in their communities. In Mark, the calling of the first four disciples comes right at the beginning of the Gospel (1:14-20). I am always intrigued by the placing of various stories and difference in the details within the gospels. This tale is particularly interesting as the account mirrors the one the Gospel of John which places it as a post-resurrection story.
Today, I simply want to mention that these men left everything to follow Jesus. I do wish that there were such clear stories, names and collective memory about the women who also abandoned everything to follow Jesus — sadly, their stories are just hinted at occasionally in the gospels. There is also no mention of the women who were left behind to tend families allowing the men the freedom to follow — again just blurry hints.
However, I’ll lay that aside for now and simply acknowledge the strength of calling that made these men drop everything to follow Jesus. I can’t really say whether they had balanced lives or not, but the text does hint that they were leading normal, functional lives. Presumably, as Jewish men in the first century, prayer was a significant part of their lives. They worked as fishermen, who had quite successful careers. The text tells that James and John left both parent and hired men. So obviously a commercial enterprise big enough to support several people. For some reason, maybe from artwork, one often thinks that the disciples were poor, obviously this was not the case in this text.
I do think each of us has a calling, it may not be as dramatic as walking off the job and abandoning family to follow Jesus. The thing about callings is they always change lives and add direction as happened to the four young men in today’s story. Our callings are probably much more mundane than theirs, yet they changed and continue to change the direction of our lives. They are manifest in the jobs we do, the people we care for, the causes we support, the kindness we show to those we meet. These are all really important. Maybe, these callings are summed up in our community prayer, “that I may be as Christ to those I meet: that I may find Christ within them”.
