OUR MISTAKES
Every person who doesn’t want to live alienated must keep themselves clear and vigilant in the face of possible mistakes that they can make in life.
One of Jesus’ more valid insights is to be able to offer to whoever knows and follows him the possibility of being more human each day. In Jesus we can hear the cry of warning in the face of the grave mistakes that we can fall into throughout our life.
The first mistake consists in making the satisfaction of material necessities into the absolute objective of our life; thinking that a human being’s final happiness is found in the possession and enjoyment of those things.
According to Jesus, that satisfaction of material necessities, as important as they may be, isn’t enough. A person goes about becoming human when she learns to listen to the Word of the Father, who calls her to live as brother/sister. Then she discovers that to be human is to share, not possess; give, not hoard, create life, not exploit our brother or sister.
The second mistake consists in seeking power, success or personal triumph, above everything else and at any cost. Including being unfaithful to one’s proper mission and falling into the slavery of the most ridiculous idolatries.
According to Jesus, the person gets it right not when he seeks his own prestige and power, or in competition and rivalry with others, but when he is capable of living in generous and disinterested service of his brothers and sisters.
The third mistake consists in trying to resolve the ultimate problem of life, without risk, struggle, or effort, taking advantage of God magically or selfishly.
According to Jesus, to understand religion thus is to destroy it. True faith doesn’t lead to passivity, evasion and being absent in the face of problems. On the contrary, whoever has understood just a little what it means to be faithful to God, the Father of all, takes risks a little more each day in the struggle to reach a more dignified and just world for all.
José Antonio Pagola
Translator: Fr. Jay VonHandorf
