In measuring stress levels, moving house scores highly. Our terror rises in proportion to how much “stuff” we have gathered. Indeed, it seems an universal law that we accumulate more and more with each succeeding move. Traumatic as they may be, house moving and even emergencies offer us a glimpse as to what needs keeping and discarding.
The Israelites having come out of Egypt (First Reading) knew all about it, and left Egypt with the bare minimum. Their successors, like us today, forgot the wisdom of “who travels lightest, travels furthest.” The temple in all its’ glory at the time of Jesus had some unnecessary additions. Did the tables and money-changing activity return after his angry outburst? Probably. But his message is actually saying: “No more business as usual. There is not much time left. Be converted.”
Holy places do not necessarily make a holy people, nor does it justify our actions. We know that an originally good religious institution can, if not watched and lovingly critiqued, deteriorate. Thankfully God is a God of holy people, not of holy places, definitely not restricted to a specific place with controlled access by ritual, regulation and law.
As we return to our individual busyness this coming week, will it be business as usual? Or will we pause and wonder about what belief and attitudes we carry around, need overturning, cleansing and clearing out in our life?
(Comments to Tom at tomascox@eircom.net )