Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - B September 10, 2006

Isaiah 35: 4-7a James 2: 1-5 Mark 7: 31-37

When we hear a miracle story from the ministry of Jesus, we often think how fortunate it is for the person who is cured. In the passage we just heard, a man has his hearing and speech restored. We can readily think how wonderful it would be if my own, or someone else’s illness or impairment or disability were miraculously, instantaneously, eliminated.

But there is so much more to the story, so much more in the purpose of Jesus’ action. It is not simply a story about Jesus’ power over nature. It is also a call for us to recognize the full power of God’s presence in the world in the person of Jesus Christ. The effect of what occurs, not only for the man in the story, but also for all of us, is to realize that we are all called by this story to open our ears to what Jesus is saying and to unloose our tongues and declare in word and in action the reality of Christ in the world. Too often we limit ourselves to the immediate story and do not go beyond to what is its real meaning, its real message.

As an example, I would like to cite an even that occurred last weekend which did not receive much publicity. Pope Benedict held what is an annual event, a gathering of some of the students who were hid graduate students when he taught theology in Germany years ago. The topic of the meeting was “creation and evolution.” The purpose of the meeting was to explore, listen to experts, think and reflect rather than necessarily to provide any direct answers or set the groundwork for a document.

Creation and evolution are significant topics in our own country and in Europe. In the United States the battle lines have been drawn in various locales regarding what should or should not be taught in the public schools. The battle has been basically defined as being between evolution and intelligent design. In Europe, the concern arises from thinking that suggests that all we can know is based on science. Thinking along these lines, when evolution is considered, can lead to the conclusion that all things happen randomly, without purpose. Life becomes meaningless is its only basis is chance events. When this is drawn to a logical conclusion, it leads to hopelessness, war. With no hope, there is no basis for peace or understanding between peoples.

With this in mind, I opened my ears and now I speak. In thinking through the issues of creation and evolution being set in opposition, I wondered whether the wrong questions are being asked, and thus wrong answers are being given.

In studying nature, a scientist asks the question “how?”. How does this happen, how does nature develop and grow? The amazing ability to study nature in its most minute forms leads to a clear answer - in an evolutionary, developing way. It is in this way that nature grows, improves, survives.

In studying nature, first a philosopher and then a theologians ask the question “why?”. A philosopher, one who is interested in studying nature, man, the ability to know, looks at the universe around us and eventually concludes that “reason” is the answer to the question “why.” The philosopher recognizes a power beyond material nature, a “spiritual” power - the power to think, to reason, to conclude. The “why” beyond material nature, this spiritual power, is reason.

A theologian accepts the conclusion of the philosopher that the ability to reason, to think, is a power that cannot be measured or put under the microscope. The theologian then recognizes that there is a source to that power, that spirituality which surpasses humanity that is a reality, that is God. Recognizing God, the theologian answers “Love” to the question of why the universe, why nature, why all that is around us, why us.

There is no contradiction between a scientist who asks “how” and a theologian who asks “why”. The theologian, along with the faith we believe, the faith that is also a power beyond us, declares that the “how” of the scientist only confirms the magnificence, the majesty, the generosity of the “why.” All of the findings of science - in the vastness of the universe and in its subatomic minuteness echo the words of the writer of the Psalms” The heavens declare the glory of God.”

Jesus ordered the man he cured not to tell anyone. Perhaps he wanted the man to be sure he understood what had happened to him. May our ears be opened to hear the fullness of Christ’s message. May our tongues be loosened to declare the wonder, the power, the presence of God’s love we experience all around us.