You can’t miss the difference

“How awesome are you, Elojah! Whose glory is equal to yours? …You were taken aloft in a whirlwind, in a chariot with fiery horses”. (Sir 48:1-4, 9-11)

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

The book of Sirach was written by a wise teacher who lived 200 years before Christ. Sirach ran a school for young people in Jerusalem. His intent was to teach them true wisdom so that it would shape their lives. Do you remember the reading which is part of a poem acclaiming the time honored heroes of Israel: Moses, Aaron, Joshua, Caleb, the Judges, Nathan, David, Solomon, Elijah.

Heroes
Think about how we and especially Americans venerate our heroes of the past in painting and sculpture: Washington crossing the Delaware River with his army, Abe Lincoln sitting majestically on a great chair, the GIs planting the flag at Iwo Jima.
However, heroic images like these are quite a contrast to the images of Jesus we use in our churches, homes and religious settings around the world: the crucifix, the Last Supper table, the Good Shepherd, the Sacred Heart, the Child Jesus lying in a manger.
You can’t miss the difference. We’ve got a “king” but it’s a different kind of king, and his reign is a different kind of reign. The path to true greatness is going to be different than the one marked out by the world around us. We’re called to act in ways that often don’t make sense in this world’s terms.

If someone did a statue of me after I die, would it reflect the standards of this world? … or the standards of the one best remembered by a crucifix, a meal, a heart full of love, a kind shepherd… and a manger?