We chase our dreams, for ever searching for that which will fulfil us and the lives we live. Society around us holds up for us the dreams of an ephemeral nature that are here and then gone in an instant. These are the dreams that we are conditioned by society to chase. The hearts desire for a life of freedom through wealth, freedom through fame and freedom through power. These are the things that society offer us. We strive for and are induced into pathways of pain and exhaustion towards an ephemeral moment of fame, power and fortune. Our lives are exhausted ghosts floating on the leavings of others and fleeting dreams that turn to dust as we pursue them for nought. Faith offers us a different path, one that leads to a concrete treasure that is everlasting.
The modern world is one that involves us in seeking out other peoples dreams and trying to live the lives of others. We very rarely sit down and take stock of where we are going or even where God is calling us. We are led by others whose dreams appear to be more fulfilling and therefore must be better. This path is a path to envy and the green monster is not very hard to find in our lives. Every thing we hear on the radio is a plea to that monster to consume us. Just think about the political and not so political stances of various societal sectors. This group is getting more or the other group over there is going to be given a break "What about us/me?" is the cry. If you give to them we deserve to get as much or more. Every sector in society stands up to fight for / argue for / deserves more than the other sector of society. We are conditioned to stand for this or that and then work for their dream. God grants to us a gift of his love but we have to recognise that gift in our lives and when we do we need to do everything possible to keep the gift and not sully it in the wormhole of envy for what others have got.
Have you found the pearl within yourself?
Jacob receives a pearl that is unknown and unseen from his eyes in Leah (Gen. 29.15-28). We know this because Leah is the mother of the majority of his children, the foundation of the future Israelite tribes. In discovering the true beauty of the unseen pearl (Matt. 13.45-46) that resides in our lives we discover how to live in the world. In not allowing the greed of the everyday overwhelm us we allow the hand of God to direct our living. This does not mean that we stop being involved in the world. It is an achieving of a balance that allows the grace that God bestows upon us to come to the fore while dis-allowing the capricious call of our own wants to overwhelm our everyday lives. By recognising the light of God within ourselves we are empowered to bring God's word into the everyday ordinariness of our lives. We begin to be led away from the competitiveness of the world and bask in the glory and knowledge of God. It is only in the recognition of the Christ within each of ourselves and the neighbour or other around us that we start to be a force for the good of God. In owning this inner life in allowing this to rule our actions we start to see the pearl that lives within our own selves.
The parable tells of how the people concerned bury or go away before returning to the treasure (Matt. 13.44). This is something we all must do, once we have found the treasures that God gives to us through God's grace we turn away. Why? Simply to do the most costly thing of all, just like the people in the story. We turn away to rid ourselves of everything that draws us back into the world of ephemeral fame, power and fortune. Only when we have sold everything, rid ourselves of our own faults, longings and desires are we ready to afford the pearl and the treasure that lies hidden within ourselves. It is amazing how many people say "I am saved" but are still fixated on the dreams and desires of this world rather than on the offerings of God. The evangelist who has not let go of the world is not an evangelist from or of God but of their own self indulgence. God delights in a humble heart not necessarily one worth millions.
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