Why are you waiting for greatness in others?

   We read about people that stood up against great evils.  Those people are great examples.  But they are not examples just to make us feel better that there are people that have stood up against great evils.  They serve as examples for us that we might stand up against the evils of our day.  We need not wait for the next great person to do so.  God is calling you to do so.

   Yes, it is terrifying to stand up against great evils.  But we are not just anyone.  We are Christians.  The first Christians were martyred merely for not offering a pinch of incense to the Roman gods.  Think about that, just a pinch.  They were not willing to part with their Jesus even by a pinch.  And yet, we allow so much to put distance between us and Jesus.

   Are we complicit in the evils of today?  For the most part, yes.  The first Christians lost everything to become Christians.  And then, they were willing to die… just for Jesus.  They knew much better than us that they were not living this earthly life just for its sake, but for eternal life.  When we re-orientate our focus to eternal life, it should be much easier to discern what we ought to do.

   We live in the world and most of us have families.  That makes it difficult to balance.  But nothing, absolutely nothing, should distance us from Jesus.  If we allow any false compassion to distance us from Jesus, than we are complicit.  Some monks used to have a saying, “momento mori” or “remember death”.  Not that they were focused on their death as much as on their judgment and thus their eternal life, rather than their finite earthly life.

   Jesus, You have called us to greatness.  Calling us to be with You forever in Heaven.  Strengthen us like the early martyrs to stand up against the great evils of today and not offer any pinch to the false gods of today.  Amen.