“Don’t be Distracted” by The Rev. Kaji Douša
Today, in reflecting on the Gospel of Luke, we hear a story in which Jesus was approached by some people who wanted to trap him, asking him questions about what would happen if a woman married and then her husband died, and then she married his brothers, and so forth … when they all went to the afterlife, who would she be married to? And what was really interesting in Jesus’ answer, is how he didn’t get distracted by the trap that they were trying to set for him. And I think about that, because, so many times in our national discourse, I find that there are many people who are trying to set traps for us, so that we focus on small issues and not on the bigger picture. And Jesus gives, in this text, the perfect example of how to stick with what God is focused on and not get sidetracked by these other voices who want to set our agenda and to dominate our thinking. And as start to think about what you obsess about or what you’re thinking through, if it doesn’t seem as if what God is asking you to think about – and maybe even focus on and obsess over – then how is it that you can reevaluate how you’re thinking and push away the other voices so that there’s room for your focus and your time and your energy to go towards what God wants for you, which is your liberation, your ability to thrive, your ability to love and be loved, wholly and fully and authentically yourself. That means that the rest of that noise will have no power over you. Amen