An AHA Moment
We've all had them right? Those light bulb moments?? You can often see them in a small child's eyes when they learn or realize a new word or skill. You can see it in a student's eyes when you finally see them understand the lesson or idea you are teaching. It's that moment in Mass when the priest is giving his homily and you swear he has reached inside your heart and pulled everything out that you needed to hear. It's that AHA moment that perpetuates continued growth and learning for many.
I recently watched someone in their AHA moment when talking to a new friend of mine that I have only known for a few months. I ran into him at a store and asked if he was ready for Christmas. He said no, he didn't really celebrate holidays like that. He said he doesn't believe in God because he only believes in himself. He said he knows God is in each one of us and therefore he is God. I honestly felt uncomfortable. I was with my daughter, and she couldn't believe it. He was very openly quoting scripture and talking about Adam and Eve and original sin, but he didn't believe in God because of some misguided belief that he was God because God is in all of us. He said he doesn't pray but meditates to himself since he is the only God he knows. I will admit I wished I had some of my scripture-quoting friends with me because I felt like that was something he might respond to; but I didn't.
So I was there trying to figure out how to respond or at least respectfully get out of this conversation. He talked about nature, peace, beauty, and holding himself to a higher standard. But he continued to quote scripture referencing the Holy Spirit. I finally said for someone who doesn't believe in God you sure know the Bible pretty well. He explained that his grandmother had raised him and taken him to church his whole life, and even when he screwed up and had to go to jail, she wrote him and kept her faith in him and in the Lord. I said, “So your Grandma believes in God and some of it rubbed off on you.” He smiled and said, "Ya, I guess!" My aha moment came in that this young man wanted so badly to believe in God because he knew he was made in the image of God but he no longer felt worthy. He had many of the lessons taught from his years of going to a Baptist church with his grandmother, but he didn't know if it was worth it anymore. He basically gave his testimony to Trinity and I, but he wrapped it in a self-righteous, "I don't need God to be ok because I'm enough" kind of bow. I pointed out that he did have God in his life because he stood there for 20 minutes talking about Him and quoting the Bible. A relationship with God is spiritual; you are in it whether you know it or not! I said, “At St. Mary's, we sometimes call these Holy Moments.”
AHA!!
The Epiphany of Our Lord is this Sunday, and last year I wrote about the Epiphany in relation to the story of the Magi. In 2017, Pope Francis said, "... that the Magi are not just men who sought out and worshiped the Christ Child a long time ago — they exemplify everyone who has a restless heart and is searching for God."
“Longing for God draws us out of our iron-clad isolation, which makes us think that nothing can change. Longing for God shatters our dreary routines and impels us to make the changes we want and need,” the Pope stated.
I pray for everyone with a restless heart to keep searching and looking for God. Keep praying, keep reaching out, keep making the changes we need to be in His light. God Bless and Happy New Year.
