I watched them go into the restaurant. She walked behind her “wheely.” He held her purse. They shuffled on, talking and smiling as someone opened the door. It was a rare “lunch out” after a doctor’s appointment—a break from the frozen dinners or simple sandwiches that were their normal fare. Sixty-three years of marriage bound them together. He would laugh and say, “Yes, we have become one body. Her mind works; mine doesn’t much. I can still read; she can still think. We walk by holding on to each other. We hold each other up. We have to help each other out to keep on living. We’ve had a good life together. We still have a good life. It just works differently now.”
When I think of the word “fidelity,” that scene of my friends, faithful to each other “in sickness and in health, til death do us part” comes to mind. When I read and pray from today’s readings, fidelity is the word that ties them together, especially fidelity in hard times.
Fidelity is a core characteristic of God. It is defined as “faithfulness, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support.”
Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4
Habakkuk was a minor prophet who prophesied in the late seventh century BC. His book is a short one of only three chapters. In it, Habakkuk is confused and questions God: “God, if you have a special care for your people, why would you not intervene when foreign, pagan oppressors threaten us?” We see Habakkuk make that cry in the opening lines of his book of prophecy today, “How long, O Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen?…Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?” Chapter One of Habakkuk goes on to list the many evils he sees.
Then, as Chapter Two begins, today we hear God’s answer: “The vision still has time, presses on to fulfillment…if it delays, wait for it.” God has all eternity, and sometimes he takes it. The key line is the final one in today’s reading: “The rash one has no integrity; but the just one, because of his faith, shall live.” God elaborates all through that chapter: do not see the oppressor as good, but rather see the oppression as an opportunity to be faithful to God, even in dark times.
Then, in Chapter Three, Habakkuk prays. “O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, I fear. In the midst of the years renew it; in the midst of the years make it known.” After this prayer, God comes in glory to Habakkuk, with a vision of justice for those who maintain fidelity. I love the final lines of the book:
“For though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit appears on the vine, Though the yield of the olive fails and the terraces produce no nourishment, Though the flocks disappear from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the LORD and exult in my saving God. GOD, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of deer and enables me to tread upon the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
Luke 17:5-10
In the Gospel today we overhear Jesus talking to his disciples as they all keep on walking from Jericho to Jerusalem. He has just warned them to be alert to temptations, which are inevitable, and encouraged them to help each other when temptations come. (Luke 17:1-4) Then he gives the two admonitions which are our Gospel today: (1) the faith you have, even if it be as small as a mustard seed, is enough to do what you need to do; and (2) don’t expect a constant theme of praise and consolations for working from your faith; you are just doing what you are supposed to do. God doesn’t serve you; you serve God.
Some temptations and tests of fidelity come when we are new in the faith—tests to see if we really mean what we say. But, generally, tests of fidelity come when you’ve been at Christianity for many years—they aren’t about testing faith, but about testing faithfulness. Will you be faithful to God when God is not giving you what you ask for?
What do you do when the road of faith is rocky, uphill, no fun, and it seems that God has forgotten you? Jesus tells us in the Gospel today: Keep on keeping on. Put one foot in front of the other. Don’t stop. Don’t get off the road. Complain to God, if necessary, but don’t expect God to say, “Poor baby, you got a boo-boo. Let me kiss it and make it better.” God says that sometimes, but not when our fidelity is being tested.
I Timothy 1:6-8; 13-14
When our fidelity is being tested, God says what Paul says to Timothy today:
I remind you, to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.
For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.
So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,
nor of me, a prisoner for his sake;
but bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
Applications
I need these Scriptures today. I need these admonitions. I need to “stir into flame the gift of God that I have”. While I can honestly say “my flame is there,” I must also honestly say that sometimes my flame is just a pilot light. My faith is real, but sometimes, at the end of the day, I want God to serve me dinner and take care of me. Sometimes my faith the size of a mustard seed seems paltry, not enough. Sometimes, I am just plain overcome with discouragement.
It is then that I remember my aged friends. I see their fidelity in loving each other, and I am inspired.
Today is Respect Life Sunday in the US. It begins Respect Life month. While I rejoiced when the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision was overturned in the summer, the fall shows powerful forces doing everything they can to return abortion on demand as the law of our land—including misinformation and fear mongering.
Sadly, too many of us have pilot light flames when it comes to life matters. What are we doing to counter lies with Truth, Compassion, and Fidelity? Standing up for life, reaching out for life, standing firm for life?
Fidelity in Action
There will be a constitutional amendment on the Kentucky ballot in November. It is a simple one that says, “There is no right to an abortion or funding of abortion in the Kentucky constitution.” There was a rally today at the state capitol here in Frankfort. God blessed us with good weather. There was a good size crowd and MANY good speakers. There was also a group in opposition who yelled through the program from the bottom of the capitol steps.
I much appreciated how Bishop John Iffert of Covington spoke about those who were yelling. He reminded us that, as much as we hope to approve the amendment, we also need to reach out in friendliness, in peace, in dialogue, and in service to those who see life matters differently.
He also said, “We want them to know that we care about them–about all women. We want them to flourish and achieve their hopes and dreams as much as they want it. The difference is that we believe that with God that is possible without costing the life of another human being.”
In Closing
We need brave souls to speak effectively about the beautiful value of every human life—from conception to entry into Eternity. Some are called to that; others not. Pray there are enough who speak. Ask God, am I one to speak?
However, we can ALL fan the flame of respect for human life through mustard seed acts of faith. Those mustard seed behaviors, multiplied by all of us, create a culture of life, a culture of caring, a culture of fidelity. They are little acts of love which, together, can stir into flame again in our nation the gift of God which is fidelity to his ways. Let God’s flame light and warm the world in you today.
How? It doesn’t have to be hard. Those mustard seed acts include supporting with a visit, a bowl of soup, or even just opening a door for those elderly who have to depend on others in order to continue to live.
They could also be sharing some time, conversation, or food with a single parent, a pregnancy crisis center, a neighbor with three young children and a husband who travels. They could be respectful dialoguing with co-workers, youth, or family about life issues.
In the end, we will not end abortion in our land or stop euthanasia before it, too, becomes law, unless we fan into flame our respect for each life, every life, every day. A Supreme Court reversal did not make the problem go away, any more than the Assyrians and Babylonians went away from the land of Israel because of Habakkuk’s prophecy. We must reach out with Truth, with Compassion, with Fidelity–a fidelity to both God and each person in need around us.
Yes, the life wars are spiritual battles. AND, YES, we are called to serve in some way on the front lines–by prayer, witness, or both. Only then will we become a culture of life instead of a culture of death.
Sometimes all of that seems hard. That’s when I remember the fidelity of my aging friends. I smile, and keep on keeping on.
Prayer:
Forgive me, Lord, when I run on pilot light. Stir me into flame! Show me how to use my mustard seed faith with fidelity—no matter what goes on around me, no matter whether I am consoled or not, no matter what anyone else does or does not do. Lead me, guide me, Lord.
