First, let me paint you a picture of where I am sitting right now. I am kicked back in a big comfy leather chair looking out huge windows that overlook a quaint little pond, pine trees with the ice melting off of them as the sun rises up over the peaks of the mountains. There is steam rolling up off the water and birds swirling in the air. Basically perfect.
Our first opening address was given by Dr. Tim Gray. This talk is to lay the foundation for the entire week, always draw us back to this first topic and see how it relates to it with everything else we learn from him and the other professors we will be going to class with. Dr. Gray began by speaking mostly on discipleship and stressing the importance of it and how we can be the best disciples we can be. So often we begin to think about how we can become the best discipler, but in all reality the most logical thing to do is for all of us to strive to become the best disciples. This talk was so thought provoking, and inspiring- I couldn’t believe it when I looked over and saw the kid next to me sleeping! I was tired myself, but I could never bring myself to sleep through a talk with Dr. Gray, especially being front row! Well, in his defense he had only been Catholic for three weeks, he will learn soon enough.
The first point Dr. Gray made was about the Church. He stated that, “The Church is centered on Jesus Christ, not ideas, doctrines, writings, and rules. A person is at the center.” He referenced a few specific points in scripture where this comes alive. When Thomas put his hands in the wounds of Christ- he was not discovering an idea, he was discovering a person. This same thing happened when Peter realized that it was Jesus standing on the shore and he swam out to greet him- a person! He was not following an idea, but a person. Too often we begin to build our faith around the rules and the doctrines and the writings. That’s not what faith is about! It’s about a person! Jesus! Faith is believing that Jesus died and rose for our salvation, not believing the idea of it. Once we know the person, only then can you truly get to know the other facets of our faith such as doctrines and ethics, etc. We cannot truly understand the teachings of the Catholic Church unless we know Jesus as a person and have a relationship with him. Otherwise, all these rules, and writings mean nothing.
So, how do we get to know the person of Jesus? We must be covered in his dust. Way back in the day when people were learning a new trade and wanted to be an apprentice of someone they would go work with them right? Well, back in Jewish tradition since not many people were educated, if one wanted to learn more about the Jewish faith they would ‘apprentice’ a rabbi. It was common for rabbis to travel around, so typically rabbis had a few men following them on their journeys while they taught. They would travel on dirt roads and as the rabbi kicked up dust on the path it would cover his followers. Much like when we drive behind someone on a gravel road, our car becomes caked in dust and dirt. Well, same goes here. We should be covered in the dust of our rabbis. If we are truly covered in the dust of our rabbi, it means we have followed them through everything- not just listened to what they said or learned their teachings, but lived the way in which they lived. We should follow them anywhere and everywhere. So, the next question to ask ourselves is: whose dust am I covered in? Whose disciple am I being? Make it Jesus. Ultimately, we need to be covered in the dust of Jesus- living the way he lived. This of course is a very radical decision to make and so the world is going to try to shame us out of discipleship.
He also made another point, a smaller one, but important nonetheless about discovering our stories. The way we become great is by discovering our stories (and as he always says- every great story has a plot). In order to truly discover your story you must discover the person at the center of your story. And surprise- that person is NOT you. It’s Jesus. So, discover your story and make sure it is being built around Jesus Christ, which technically should be easy to do if you are following Him and being covered in his dust. Technically.
Now for the really mind-blowing part of the talk. This last part Dr. Gray Focused on was some Lectio Divena on Mark 8:22-26.
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man, and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men; but they look like trees, walking.” Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and saw everything clearly. And he sent him away to his home saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
Dr. Gray said he had done some research on Bethsaida, and at the time that he made this discovery through this Lectio Divena, he was actually in Bethsaida overlooking the city. Pretty cool place to contemplate. So, he was focusing on Jesus’ words “do not even enter the village”. Why? What’s with Bethsaida, why can’t he return? Well, through his research he discovered that Bethsaida had turned into a huge worldly and secular city- not a place for one’s faith to flourish. So, Jesus led the blind man away from Bethsaida, a worldly place that blinds us from seeing Jesus. Heals him. Then tells him, “ Listen buddy, that place is no good for you just steer clear.” We cannot follow Jesus if we are blind and cannot see where he is. So, in order to follow Jesus means we must be cured of our blindness. What is your Bethsaida? What is blinding you from seeing and following Jesus.
So, yeah. That was just a simple surface talk. Just wait until I post on his Psalms lecture.
