Embracing the Unexpected

Embracing the Unexpected

(Post by guest blogger, Lauren Urzetta Frye, youth minister at Spiritus Christi Church and seminarian at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School)

March 8th 

Readings 2 Kings 5:1-15 and Luke 4: 24-30

In today’s readings we are presented with the motif of “the unexpected”, and I think it is more than safe to say we have all had our fair share of “the unexpected” throughout this past year. 

In the first reading, an unexpected essential character in the story is an unnamed servant girl who presents a solution to heal the leprosy of the army commander, Naaman. This young girl speaks up and states “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,” she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.” The young girl is speaking of the healing powering of the Lord, the God of Israel, by the way of Israel’s prophet, Elisha. This unforeseen faith in the servant girl is what ultimately brings about hope to this situation, and what would eventually bring about a solution. 

This story, like many others in the scriptures, challenges our thinking of who may be that unexpected person to bring faith and healing into a situation that feels hopeless. Throughout the pandemic it was the “unexpected” heroes, our essential workers, who stepped up and provided us with hope. It reminds me of one of the quotes that has been circulating the internet saying “When this over let’s remember that it wasn’t the CEOs and billionaires who saved us. It was the sanitation workers, doctors, nurses, grocery workers, maintenance workers, scientists and food workers.” 

In the second reading, Jesus is back home in Nazareth speaking to the people at the synagogue, and they cannot wrap their minds around the fact that Jesus, the son of a carpenter, the boy they had witnessed growing up, was preaching the word of God, and proclaiming to them that “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” and “He has sent me to let the oppressed go free.” This unexpected message of salvation from Jesus is too difficult for the Nazareans to understand, and as a result they drove him off, trying to kill him. 

I can’t help but think about the missed opportunity of this situation, and I wonder how many opportunities we miss because our God takes an unexpected form. Jesus spelled it out perfectly for them, but because it wasn’t the picture they had in their minds, they chose anger and violence instead of acceptance.  

So my challenge for us today is to examine where in our own lives might we be denying an unexpected friend, opportunity or experience? Are we turning our attention away from something that may bring hope and faith into our lives?  Is there something we may be missing because it is making us uncomfortable or bringing us out of our comfort zone? 

Where can we embrace the unexpected?

5 Comments

    Sarah A Brownell

    Thanks Lauren, this really makes me think about how our judgement of others can lead us to miss important opportunities. When I read the Bible passages, I often consider how I would have reacted to Jesus if I had met him in each situation. Like if I was the woman at the well (or mabye at the water bottle refill station) and he said, “I will give you living water instead. Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst again.” Hmmm…. And if I met St. Francis I might think of him as a homeless beggar. The prophets and saints of today could easily be labeled as having a mental illness or being members of a cult. I used to think about this a lot when I lived at St. Joe’s since many of our guests were very spirtual and thoughtful about the world and the ways we treat one another. I wonder how many saints and prophets live among us right now and we don’t even see them…

    Francene C McCarthy

    Thank you and welcome back, Lauren and thank you also, Sarah. I agree, the “holy” ones often are not “accepted in their own town” . We all need to look and listen closely to those among us who carry God’s message in word and deed but yet may not look like a “prophet”. I recently read a story of a young man on a bus shouting obscenities and out of control. An older woman sitting next too where he was standing simply took his hand, no words, just the gesture. The young man eventually calmed down. Jesus among us. Blessings, Fran

    Joan Chandler

    This reminds me to take the moment to be fully present with whoever is in my life in the present moment. Everyone has wisdom to share if I have the wisdom to hear.

    Judene Scheidt

    “Is there something we may be missing because it is making us uncomfortable or bringing us out of our comfort zone?” will be my reflection this week, Lauren. I’ve experienced these unexpected opportunities to learn and grow, and they are often difficult to hear simply because our egos get in the way. We are all trained through the media to develop an opposing opinion because that’s what we constantly see and hear: opinion/rebuttal, opinion/rebuttal, opinion/rebuttal. We listen to “react” rather than listen to “understand.” Listening to understand requires us to be brave enough to “unhook” from a familiar or comfortable idea or belief, and we worry that if we unhook, we’ll lose our way back. It’s sometimes scary and risky, but in most cases, I’ve found it to be enlightening and a necessary step toward progress.
    Thanks for your insight and wisdom! <3

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