TRYING TO KEEP IT SIMPLE
In today’s readings, there’s a lot of commanding language: laws, ordinances, statutes, decrees, etc., and the insistence on passing these teachings on to the next generations. For me personally, I tend to feel pretty “allergic” to this language in scripture or when I hear it used by priests or religious speakers. I tend to associate laws and decrees with force and a lack of freedom. And yet, one of the most faithful Catholics I ever knew was my grandmother Barbie, who seemed spiritually to be one of the most free and peaceful people I knew. She passed away two years ago today, March 10, on what was also her 79th birthday. Her example of faith to me was one that invited questioning, but also rested on the core truths. When I would feel averse to certain teachings or scripture passages, and would tire myself out wrestling with them, she would say to me “keep it simple, Jessie”. By that, she meant, “go back to the simple truths you know in your heart”.
In the spirit of reexamining my assumptions and ideas in faith that I wrestle with, I reread these scriptures a couple more times, and a connection between them stood out to me. In the 1st reading from Deuteronomy, we see the words: “For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the LORD, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?” And in Matthew’s Gospel reading we hear Jesus say, “‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.’” When I reflect on the meaning of these readings, in light of this focus on God being near to God’s people, and this being fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ (Emmanuel, God-with-us), I recognize that perhaps Jesus intends these words to be redefined. If we are to consider each “letter of the law” to be rooted in the Word Made Flesh, then God’s law isn’t one to force or threaten, but the deeper truth being communicated is about a Love that is personal and intimately close to us.
Upon reframing these scriptures, I hear an invitation to abide in and be a bearer of that Love. Ultimately, if that is the orientation of my heart, then I am less concerned about breaking any laws or statutes. And rather than being obligated, I am drawn by that Love. I find that this understanding gives me some sense of peace, perhaps not unlike the peace my grandma Barbie had at the end of her life.
According to Jewish tradition, a person who dies on their birthday is said to be a prophet, for a prophet is one who “completes their number of days”. Today, I not only remember my Catholic grandma Barbie, but also my Jewish grandma Libi, who just passed away less than two weeks ago. The morning before she passed, I was praying for her and I imagined Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and my grandma Barbie gathered around her hospital bed, and my grandma saying “I’m right here with her, Jessie”. She died that afternoon. As I presently process layers of grief and desolation and find myself feeling caught in the web, yet again, of doubt and questions and pain, I am trying to remember the prophetic words of my grandma Barbie, to “keep it simple”. And I will try to cling to the message in today’s readings that God is indeed so close to me, whenever I call upon Him.
How does a gentle reframing of words like ‘law’ and ‘statute’ make you feel, and in what ways have you been observing those laws and statutes today? What does “keeping it simple” look like for you?
If you, like me, are moving through any grief or doubt or questioning (or if you ever have), I invite you to listen to this song I wrote about my grandma Barbie, “Keep It Simple” and to notice what feelings or thoughts come up for you, and to talk about them with the Lord.