If I am in need of an honest opinion, I need to look no further than my youngest son. Seriously. If I am torn between two pairs of shoes, not sure if a certain pair of jeans is particularly flattering, want to discuss current events or simply need someone to tell me what they think of this week’s blog post, he’s my go-to guy. I turn to him because I can count on him to tell me the truth. I don’t always like what he has to say. I may profoundly disagree with his assessment. I may find myself defending my position and yes, there are times when I may even be mildly offended by his evaluation of the subject at hand, but he always speaks from the heart. He doesn’t mince words. He simply comes out with it and it’s up to me to decide if I can deal with the brutal honesty that gets hurled in my direction. To give you an idea of what he’s like, here are just a few of his personal observations:
“You know what I think? I think God doesn’t believe in atheists!”
“I enjoy worshipping a guy whose name is ‘dog’ spelled backwards!”
“I don’t care what you say, woman! According to Google, Jimmy Page has not been classified as a musical deity!” (While one of my favorite statements ever, this is a point upon which we have agreed to disagree. Ha!)
But every once in a while, he comes up with something so profound and so far “out there,” that I am actually shocked by his words. One such incident occurred when I asked him his opinion about today’s gospel reading and in typical fashion, my 21-year-old proffered his thoughts in a frank, off-the-cuff retort that set me back on my heels.
“Look mom, I think it’s safe to say that cannibalism was frowned upon in the First Century and yet, along comes this guy who says if folks eat His flesh and drink His blood, they can attain eternal life. How insane is that? Not only does a statement like that contradict societal norms but when you stop and think about it, it’s a little bit sick! Can you really blame people for walking away after Jesus essentially said, ‘eat me?’”
My mouth dropped open and I blinked my eyes a few times as he turned his attention to a bowl of Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli. I’d never heard anyone put it in those terms before, but then again, I didn’t know anyone except him who would. Leave it to him to shove aside the symbolism and concentrate on a literal interpretation of the words. After a spoonful of pasta and consulting the scripture passage in question, he continued.
“And then…as if that weren’t enough, He turns to his followers and says, ‘What if you were to watch me defy gravity?’ How did they NOT think this dude was nuts?” He shook his head. “If I’d have been there, I would have been convinced the guy was on drugs!”
At first, I was horrified to hear my kid talk about the Son of God as if He were a drug-addicted crazy man on a street corner, but the more I stopped and thought about it, the more I realized how he’d inserted himself into the narrative and tried to hear Jesus’ words the same way His early followers did. Using his 21st century vernacular, my son showed me that Jesus’ words were shocking. They were unbelievable and they were hard to hear. For some, they may have even been a bit too much. Like my son, Jesus doesn’t apologize for his statements, nor does he rebuke those who turn away. He lets the words stand on their own and if we can’t handle the truths contained within then that’s up to us. There’s nothing more He can do. He knows that some of us will stay the course while others will fall by the wayside…
But we can’t say we weren’t warned ahead of time. It’s shocking…but it’s true.
Today’s readings for Mass: ACTS 9:31-42; PS 116: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17; JN 6:60-69
