What Would You Take With You?
theophilus October 24th, 2007
When I looked ahead to today’s gospel reading (Luke 12: 39-48), I couldn’t help but think of the possibilities of what I could write on the theme of Christ teaching that ”[m]uch will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
But, then I started looking in depth at the news coming out of SoCal, and I started to think about my good friend Mike and my wife’s aunt Peggy, and my thoughts have been consumed with the usual why’s, who’s, where’s, and what’s that accompanying natural disasters that don’t involve us.
My wife and I had a very, good conversation last night – what would we take with us if we had one hour to evacuate our home knowing it would be gone when we returned like my good friend Mike and his wife faced on Monday at 5:30am (PST)?
I’ve heard about folks grabbing tax records, wills, pictures, and horses. I saw a photo of a burnt-out car with a burnt-out CPU in the back seat. I saw photos of folks around and on top of their homes with garden hoses, hoping to do to the flames what the firefighters could not.
My wife and I decided that if we had to evacuate in an hour, we’d take some wedding and baby photos, our laptops, some clothes, and our Bible. I would also probably grab some books to pass the time and our Crucifix. Other than that, we would let it all go.
And it’s not a bad list for us to put together. We will never have to worry about a wildfire or a hurricane here in Cincinnati – but we do have to worry about tornadoes. So, it’s good that we think about what we don’t want to live without.
And, we realize that as long as we, and our precious children, are safe, we can always rebuild. God gives us that ability. Heck, he gives us that right – as his disciples.
No matter what happens in our lives, we can always rebuild and replace – we just need to make sure we never lose faith or lose sight of what’s important.
Remember, St. Joseph had to uproot his family at a moment’s notice to flee the persecution of the jealous Herod. They wouldn’t return for two years. History is filled with people who have rebuilt. In our own time, New Orleans will. SoCal will.
It’s about faith, hope and love – our three theological virtues.
For now, let’s devote our prayers to those who are lost and suffering. Praying to our Blessed Mother for their protection. Asking of our Lord that he respectfully call off the winds, send some rain, and bless those who are impacted by the fires and those who are giving so much of themselves to fight the fires.
And, let us alway remember what is really important. Let us never lose faith, hope and love, even when our world is ablaze.
Photo: NASA Satellite Image – October 23, 2007 (Reuters)
- Faith , Jesus , Mary
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