Elise and I have two favorite movies that we can watch over and over again. OK, three movies…if you count “When Harry Met Sally”. The two movies make sense when you recall that Elise is Jewish and me, Catholic. One of the two is the movie “Godspell”. The film was released in 1973 and tells the story of the ministry and passion of Jesus as written by Matthew in his Gospel. The difference is that it is told from the perspective a troupe of what can only be described as hippies. The script is mostly verbatim from the Gospel but definitely with a few twists aiming to make the Gospel relevant to the generation at the time. And the music…oh the music! “Prepare ye the Way of the Lord”. “Day by Day”, “By My Side”. If you have not seen this film, do yourselves a favor and give it some of your time. But don’t look at it from the view of how the characters appear but recognize the message conveyed.
The other film, no surprise, is “Fiddler on the Roof”. The story of a tiny Russian town in the early twentieth century. The lead character, Tevye, struggles with his faith versus the intrusion of the world into his village and his relationship with his family and with God. How the traditions of his faith help him to balance the world’s demands and the demands of Judaism. He has 5 daughters and one of them has a relationship, and eventual marriage, with a radical outsider named Perchik (who Elise and I happened to have named one of our guinea pigs after…yes, we REALLY loved this movie…and guinea pigs). Perchik is a revolutionary fighting against the Czar and comes to the town looking for work. He ends up teaching Tevye’s daughters the Bible. Or, at least his take on what the Bible teaches. In one scene he defies tradition at the wedding of one of Tevye’s other daughters by stepping over a rope that divides the men and women and asking the women to dance. The guests are horrified and accuse Tevye of having a wild man in his home. Tevye looks to Perchik, asks him to step back in line and telling the guests that Perchik is “a little crazy”. He is an outsider bringing in ideas and actions beyond the understanding of the insiders of the community. Here is the clip from this scene:
Yes, here I go again using a long seemingly unrelated story as an intro to my thoughts on the day’s readings. 🙂 How does THIS story have even a remote chance of relating to today’s first reading or Gospel? Yes, that is exactly what I am asking myself at this point in writing the reflection! And the point at which I typically wait for and hope for the Holy Spirit to intervene.
In this case today I believe the Holy Spirit is telling me to look at the Gospel. Jesus has “come home”. Some believe “home” is Andrew and Peter’s home in Capernaum. He is in this home and is surrounded by crowds of His disciples, friends, scribes and even His own relatives. He has, previous to this section of Mark, cured someone on the Sabbath, healed a paralytic that was dropped from the roof of a crowded house, He has had dinner with tax collectors and prostitutes, He has allowed his disciples to neglect fasting laws and had them pick grain on the Sabbath. He was, in all ways, an outsider in these communities. Even though he was born and grew up amongst these people. They “knew” him but, then again, did they really know Him? He spoke and acted in ways that directly contradicted the accepted way of life. The accepted beliefs held by the Pharisees, priests and scribes. And the reaction of His own relatives? He is crazy. They seized him later in the chapter and tried to remove Him from amongst the crowd. They also accused Him of being in league with Satan. It seemed as though they were trying to, in a way, save Him from Himself. Trying to get the crowds to release Him and thereby save Jesus from harm by trying the same strategy that Tevye used to pull Perchik back into sanity as he attempted to break tradition in his offer to dance with…women!!
What about us? If we are true followers of Christ don’t we challenge The World? Are not our views and our ways in direct conflict of what the world says is OK? Wait, you are going to Mass on Sunday instead of playing golf? Don’t you know that there is a football game on Sunday morning? Can you take the kids to soccer Sunday morning? Mass? You can watch it online later today if you want. Of course it is OK for unmarried people to live together. That is how they get to know one another better. Isn’t it? Gossip about a co-worker so that you will be viewed better when that promotion comes up. Doesn’t everyone do that? Stealing from a big store? It is OK if you need the item. After all, they have insurance? Saying grace before a meal in a restaurant? Do you realize what people will think of you if they see you? What…are you crazy?! Pray outside of an abortion clinic…in the rain? You must be nuts!
“I came to set fire to the world, and I wish it were already burning! (Luke 12:49)
“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:51)
How do we know we are following the will of God? Easy. You will know you are on the right track, the narrow path, when the world calls you crazy. And you will be in good company. Jesus apparently was a little crazy too.
