Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Sharing

Baxter loves food, but he isn’t greedy. I can reach into his bowl when he is eating and take a handful of food away, and he doesn’t get upset. He doesn’t hiss, scratch or try to bite me when I do this. He certainly wants to chow down, but not at the expense of someone else. Maybe because I raised him to know that there would always be enough to eat, he does not see someone else sharing from his dish as a threat. While Baxter doesn’t stop chomping until the bowl is empty, he won’t stop someone from having a few morsels, if they wish. Despite all his pleasure seeking practices, Baxter is a generous cat.

What about us? What is our attitude towards what we have and what we want to get? Is our instinct to grab and stuff as much into our pockets as we can, or do we figure there is plenty for everyone, if each takes his or her turn? Lent is a time to think through these questions for ourselves.

Remember when we were kids and dessert was being served. We always wanted a big piece. Even if we couldn’t eat it all, we still wanted it. My mother used to say, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach,” meaning you want more than you need or can handle comfortably. Favorite foods were more than a way to get nourishment. They were a sign that we were special, top cat, entitled to all that we want and going to take it. And forget it, if someone else wanted a taste off our dish. “This is mine. Get your own. Mom, he took my piece!” We were so self-centered, possessive and greedy at times--so immature.

Have we grown up though? Maybe the object of our desire has changed from endless quantities of candy, ice cream and cake, but are we still grabbing at life for all that we can get and looking for more? That is a very exhausting way to live, because we are always concerned about what someone has, how much better it is, and we are afraid that they will take what we have away from us. It is living with a defensive attitude towards others, seeing them as threats to what we have rather than partners in this world.

Our faith calls us to reach out to others with all that we can give. The model is set by God Himself, Who did not spare His own Son for our sakes. We are called to follow in this way, the way of Jesus,who gave us God’s Word,God’s forgiveness and healing, God’s boundless love, even unto His death. It’s the opposite of grabbing and greed. It is generously sharing with brothers and sisters so that all can have more, more joy and peace in living, even if each has a little less stuff to carry around. In this way we see each other differently. We aren’t competitors for limited resources. We are part of one human family where all benefit from shared goods and services that create a benevolent world. It is like the community of God’s Trinitarian life. It’s a holy way to live.

Baxter loves to eat, but he is not afraid to share his food. Lent calls us to become more generous, realizing that it is not what we have but what we give that marks us as God’s children.