December 11th, 2010

“The Malady of Not Wanting”…

“The Malady of not wanting” is a description that I read concerning the state of the modernized world. Is it true, do we live in a land of plenty so much so that we want for nothing, actually need nothing? As I sit here, I can’t think of a single thing I actually need. In fact, at least in my city, most of the homeless people are pretty well taken care. Someone, I’m sure will take issue with me, but it’s true. Even the poorest among us (our culture) don’t need for anything “life-giving”. And yes, there are some exceptions.

So how do we “hunger” and “thirst” for more of God, or the good things of God? If we don’t know the hunger and thirst that Jesus speaks of (in the Beatitudes), how will we ever get it right? Well, this brings me to my son and his Christmas list. How many times have I heard, “I really, really, really, really, want this one!”? The more “reallys” there are, the more he wants it. As he was describing to me some of the items on his list, I began to wonder if my enthusiasm for Jesus matched his enthusiasm for a toy. Shamefully, I think I have to admit that his enthusiasm wins. Then I realized that I have a built in model for how to want more of Jesus. Sound silly? What if I began wanting more of Jesus like my son wants everything on his Christmas list, how much different would my life be?

Merry Christmas! 

Posted: 1 year ago