FLY OR DIE

 

FLY OR DIE

It is a well-known image: a caterpillar must die so that a butterfly can fly. A less well-known one is about the sea-bird, the gannet. I saw them once swirling round the rocky islands in the Atlantic off the west coast of Ireland. At a certain point, the mother stuffs her chick with food till it can take no more. Then she flies off. The chick relaxes and enjoys itself for a while. But soon enough it starts feeling hungry again. It has never done more than exercise its wings till then. But now it must leave its cosy home. It must either fly – or die.

Its like a law built into our existence. We all have to fly. Otherwise we will die a slow death of boredom, frustration or living off the work of others like that other bird that lays its eggs in another’s nest because it can’t be bothered to rear its own young. A law maybe but – better - it is the truth about life. Think of an artist – or a musician. To succeed they have to get it right. And that may take sweat and tears. Think of children. In the ‘nest’ of a good happy home, they are secure and enjoying themselves. Then they have to leave home and then the struggle begins.

Each week, we work our way through Mark’s gospel. We know the stories. We have met them many times. But then suddenly there is commotion. Jesus tells his closest friends he will be taken from them; he will be betrayed, ‘handed over’, arrested, condemned and put to death. They are aghast. They protest and he turns on them and rebukes their leader in the strongest terms; ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are trying to block the only way to truth and life!’ Jesus has set his face ‘like flint’ (Is. 50) towards Jerusalem. It is the only way for him – and for us.

We look at our high-density suburbs where people spend all their efforts that they and their families may survive for another day. We look at our rural areas where people dig deep into river beds to find a little water for themselves and their livestock. We look further at Sudan where an endless war continues, or Ukraine, or Gaza. It is all so pitiful. And it is all because those of us who have power to change things sit on our hands and do nothing. We are not prepared to fly. We prefer the slow death of ‘comfort’ and ‘security’.

So the only truth about life is the cross. This is the central message of the new world that Jesus came to create when he prayed with us, ‘Father, your kingdom come!’ And he tells us it does not end there; ‘After three days he will rise again.’ The rising of Jesus, and our rising if we are with him, is the truth, the fulfilment of life. The dancing butterfly and the soaring gannet are hints of this.

15 September 2024     Sunday 24 B               Is 50:5-9          Jam 2:14-18            Mk 8:27-35