There always seems to be news about disasters, whether natural or caused in some way by humans in our greed, arrogance, or simply foolishness. Sometimes the disasters affect many people far away, like the shootings in New Zealand or plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Sometimes the disasters are closer to home, like a loved one's illness or a relationship that is falling apart. Human reaction to disaster apparently has not changed much over millenia. A common reaction is victim-blaming. Here's today's Gospel reading:
"At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."
Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'" (Luke 13:1-9)
Jesus says that people do not suffer because they are worse than other people. Suffering is just a thing that happens. So why does he say "unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did?" There is death, the end of mortal life, and there is death before death. The Greek word translated as "perish" in this passage is apothnesko (thanks, Beth), most often used in scripture to mean separation from God, or spiritual death.
Physical death can be caused by gunshots, but it is a spiritual deadness that leads people to shoot guns at other people. Physical death can be caused by plane crashes, but it is a spiritual deadness that values profits over people. Physical death can be caused by floods, but it is a spiritual deadness that blinds us to the effects of our economies and lifestyles on our planet. We must repent, turn toward the good, over and over again. We must embrace the fullness of life God dreams for us.
Maybe we are like the fig tree that is not producing fruit. Does God cut us down? No. God wants to dig around our roots and nourish us, so that we can bear fruit that is good for all. It is not always comfortable to have our roots disturbed. We may turn up our nose at the manure we find surrounding us. But when we start growing and start bearing the fruit our lives are meant to bear, we are healthier.
Physical death is unavoidable. Spiritual death is not. Every day is a new chance to repent, to return to the source of all life and grow rightly.
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