It is only a cartoon

It is only a cartoon. Last Sunday around a million French citizens flooded the streets of Paris to proclaim freedom; freedom from tyranny, freedom of speech, religion, freedom from fear and terror. Freedom, however, does not mean I can do whatever I want. Freedom requires civility. Freedom does not mean just because I can, I should. Words, even cartoon words matter. That said, there is no justification for slaughtering anyone for what is only a cartoon, be it a misguided opinion or not. Freedom requires civility. There is nothing civil about extremism in any form. Extremism never expresses the core values of any religious tradition. Extremism is ego on steroids, what I want at all costs. Addressing extremism and extremists is not the same as addressing their so called religious identities. Extremism is born of a dark fear that I am not going to get my way, that I am only good or right if I can wipe out all opposition to my way of thinking. We see being played out on the world stage, the bulling, fighting, arguments, spats and ego butting we experience as a part of our daily, individual lives. So, the solution begins with each of us individually, how we act and react on a daily basis to daily problems. Our scripture readings this weekend give us a clue to where we need to begin. Like Samuel we are often confused by the voices we hear. Eli tells Samuel what we need to do, to go to a quiet place, sort things out and utter the most important sentence, “speak Lord, your servant is listening.” Only in quiet, only by getting our egos out of the way and listen with all of our senses will we know the next right step to take. In the Gospel, Jesus asks a most important question, “what are you looking for?” They ask, “where do you stay?” Jesus responds, “come and see” and they went and saw and stayed with Him. As we begin this New Year, the question is what are we looking for? Jesus invites us into a relationship with Him and we must stay with Him if we are to know the next right step. This response may seem so small, puny, insignificant we might just say so what. We might say if everyone doesn’t get on board, why should I? The fact is that nothing will change unless we change. We can only begin by taking the next step, and then the next and the next. The march in Paris last week will mean little unless each and every marcher actually changes, lives daily what they marched for. The march ws only a small beginning, the real work lies ahead as it does for each of us. The French did a good thing last week. We do a good thing every week in church but if these good things don’t transform our daily lives it is all for naught. We need to live what we celebrate so we can celebrate what we live; otherwise it is only a cartoon. Peace, and all Good, Michael