God Is Not A Clockmaker And Our Default Question

My reflection for this Sunday is actually based on two wonderful homilies I heard over this weekend. This Sunday is Respect Life Sunday in the United States. I was asked to give my post abortion healing witness at all the Masses in a nearby parish. This is always a humbling privilege for me. However when you attend more than one Mass, you get to hear more than one homily.
The first one was given by a transitional deacon (he will be ordained in May). His homily used the analogy that is sometimes heard comparing God to a watch or clock maker. The clockmaker makes his timepiece and then sells it, never again to have anything to do with it. The deacon went on to say that some people see God in this way; they become like Habakkuk in the first reading, angry with God, wondering why He seems so detached from human affairs. But in that reading God goes on to tell Habakkuk that all will be done in His time. God tells us the same thing; all will be put right, but in God's time~not ours. It is the faith that the Apostles asked Jesus for in the Gospel that will enable us to see that God is very much interested in human affairs and His hand is at work even if we can not perceive it. In the meantime we need to take Paul's advice in the second reading and bear our share of the hardships for the sake of the Gospel. If we can do all of this, all the while asking Our Lord to increase our faith, we will see God not as a disinterested clock maker, but as a loving, caring, merciful Father.
The second homily I heard gave the analogy of how we sometimes operate as computers. Computers have all sorts of default settings. Father, in his homily, said that we often have our own default questions. We get up in the morning and our minds and hearts may be set to the "What's wrong?" default. What's wrong with my spouse, my kids, my parents, my co~workers and friends; even worse the question may be "What's wrong with me?" Father stressed the point that this last one can be quite damaging to our spirit~perhaps even breaking it. He invited us to change our default question to the positive: "What's right with my spouse, my kids, etc.; What's right with me?" Father reminded us that yes, we are sinful, but we are still to remember that we are created in God's image and likeness; that through his mercy and forgiveness, when we ask Him for it, we can begin to see what is right and good in others and ourselves.
Part of what always blows me over when I give my witness in a parish is the compassionate and positive response I get from those who have just heard me. Part of my healing was the grace to be able to not only ask God for His forgiveness, but also the grace to forgive myself. I can not accept God's love if I am still playing the shame and blame game. This grace also allows me to accept love, mercy and compassion from others.
I know God is not the clockmaker and I am slowly but surely changing my default settings.
How about you?

Comments

Michael said…
Wow, what a great post! Its so easy to get caught in the wrong "default". I'm going to pay careful attention to my own "CPU" (which, I must admit, is a few processors short), and make sure I am thinking the right way.

Great perspective.

God Bless!
Unknown said…
Thanks Michael and Colleen. I thought these two themes were too good not to share.
As for my talks I am always humbled by giving them. And yes Colleen- the old tapes- I use that analogy often as well. Satan had his finger on the play button today a few times, but I kept repeating the Divine Mercy- Jesus I trust in You- seemed to send the devil back where he has chosen to be. If one person was helped in the 5 Masses I spoke at it is all worth it.
May God be glorifies in it all!
Judy Dudich said…
Oh, BOY, did I need to read this today! THANK YOU Karinann!
And, God bless you for humbling yourself in order to A) be healed and B) help to heal others
Karinann, I want to congratulate you and salute you for spreading your message affirming life and witness to God's infinite mercy. God will surely reward you.

Secondly, I wanted to thank you for your reflection on God's involvement in our lives. It fits nicely with my blog entry for tomorrow (finally.) God is intimately involved in our lives. Even the "evils" that befall us(except sin) - our crosses, our sorrows, are selected by Him with the greatest love. "For whom the Lord loveth, He chastises." (Heb. 12:6)

We will never know in this life the tender care with which the Lord follows us around. "The very hairs on our head are numbered." (Luke 12:7)

Thank you again for all your lovely posts. :)
Unknown said…
Thanks Judy and Robert for your kind and encouraging words. Glad you both liked the post.
Robert looking forward to your post tomorrow.
God bless you both.
This is a great post with a good message.

I read it twice. Thanx.

God bless.
Unknown said…
Thanks Victor- glad you liked the message. I heard those 2 homilies several times over the course of 5 Masses and got something different from them each time.
Anne said…
Thank you Karinann, for openly sharing your story with others. You are such a blessing in this world!

I liked the default setting analogy-a perfect fit for me unfortunately!
Unknown said…
Thanks you for your kind words Anne. Glad you liked the analogy- I think it fits many of us more often than we think.
God bless!