“A Choice to Treasure”–Debbie Clark, April 27, 2013
Our Tuesday and Wednesday Bible Study groups just started our study of the book of James. It’s a hidden treasure, a short book that focuses on practical faith. A member of the Tuesday group commented that James is all about choices. Gathering so soon after the Marathon Day bombing, our Tuesday group naturally found ourselves talking about the choices we have for how we respond to violence and terror.
Like so many other tragic events in the last few years, the Marathon Day bombing awakens us to our vulnerability. One minute we are at the peak of physical fitness, running a marathon; the next minute we might be struggling to stay alive.
Vulnerability is a reality of human existence. We can’t make it go away; we can choose how we respond to it. It is tempting to respond by retreating in fear, by closing ourselves off and approaching people and situations with suspicion. It is equally tempting to respond with denial, fooling ourselves into thinking it cannot happen to us. There is a third choice: we can choose to treasure life. We can receive each day as a gift. We can live in gratitude for how precious every sunrise, every relationship, every moment is.
We talked, in our group, about another kind of vulnerability as well. As we learned more about the suspect who is still alive, we found ourselves wondering how this seemingly nice kid ended up committing such a horrific act. We were reminded that each one of us is capable of losing sight of right and wrong; we named how readily our fears and desires and angers can become twisted and lead to horrible acts.
We have choices about how we respond to the troubling reality of this vulnerability as well. We can despair at human nature. We can deny our vulnerability, pretending we are all good and projecting evil onto other people. Or, we can choose to cultivate our potential for good–developing habits and practices that strengthen that potential. We can surround ourselves with people who support us in developing those habits and help us catch ourselves when we are heading into danger. Even as we name our potential for acts of hatred and even evil, we can choose to claim our potential for good as a gift–to be treasured and nurtured.
I am grateful for a church community that helps me choose to treasure life and love as gifts.