The desert is one of the most uninhabitable places on earth. It’s dry, almost entirely void of life, and covered in burning sand.
Maybe that’s why Dante included the desert in his seventh circle of hell!
Why, then, does the Lord promise to lead Israel into the desert in our first reading?
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To draw them closer to himself.
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At this point in the Old Testament, Israel has repeatedly proven unfaithful to God. They’ve worshipped other gods, failed to pray, and given into immoral living.
To capture their attention, the Lord allows a neighboring army to invade, sending Israel into the desert.
But it’s not meant to be an aggressive type of punishment.
The prophet Hosea promises that Israel’s impending military defeat, and their desert experience to follow, can purify their faith, deepening Israel’s intimacy with God.
But they must be humble.
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It sounds hard to believe that God can bring something good out of destruction and defeat.
Hardship can lead any of us down the path of pity parties and depression. Like the ancient Israelites, maybe you’re having your own “desert experience” right now.
Maybe a deep sense of isolation has set in since COVID spread. Maybe you’re enduring a dry period in prayer; personal grief; or uncertainty about the future.
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The prophet Hosea reminds us that God is present, even in these desert experiences.
The Lord can use our most difficult days to purify our faith, drawing us closer to himself.
But such a transformation always begins with humility and surrender.
When I think of July 4th, I think of cheeseburgers and fireworks; cold drinks and hot grills.
But above all, I think of freedom.
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This weekend we remember the sacrifices made by America’s bravest – our sons and daughters, parents, and grandparents, men and women who’ve served our country with honor.
Many barely of the age to vote.
They willingly risked their freedom so that we can have ours. Some even gave their lives.
May we never take their sacrifices for granted.
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But what does it mean to be free? Is it the power to do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want, regardless of how my choices may affect other people?
Or should freedom be used to reach a higher calling, such as civic duty, moral living, and even a life of faith?
This is certainly a conversation we’re having as a nation: what freedom means, and how we should use it appropriately.
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It may sound strange at first, but most – if not all of us – wouldn’t want an absolutely free society; we’d shriek at a world without laws and limits.
For example, your freedom to swing your fist stops where my nose begins.
My freedom to accelerate my car ends as I approach a red light.
Freedom needs boundaries. Otherwise, we’d be living in a world of car crashes and broken noses.
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In the Gospel, Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
In Jesus’ day, farmers used oxen to plow their fields. Often, they’d pair an older, stronger ox with a younger, less experienced ox using a wooden apparatus called a yoke.
The oxen complimented one another, so they plowed the fields together.
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In a similar way, Jesus invites us to yoke our freedom to him; to walk in tandem; to plow through the fields of life together.
But be aware.
Plowing through life with Jesus leads us to make certain choices:
Putting God first in our lives; turning the other cheek; forgiving others their mistakes, giving them second or third chances; working for peace and justice for all.
That’s not always easy.
But Jesus teaches us how to use our freedom wisely; to reach for a higher calling. Otherwise, we’d be living in a world of car crashes and broken noses.
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Think of how people use their freedom wisely in the Gospels.
There’s the Prodigal Son who returns home after squandering his father’s inheritance. There’s his father, who eagerly forgives him.
There’s the Good Samaritan who crosses ethnic lines to help his neighbor dying by the roadside.
There’s Jesus himself, who turns the other cheek, heals the sick, and lays down his life for friends.
In these cases, when freedom is used well, a father gains a son; a life is saved; a world is redeemed.
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So how do I use my own freedom?
Do I waste what I have like the Prodigal Son? Do I hold onto grudges like his older brother?
Or, do I freely forgive others like their father?
Do I see myself as my brother’s keeper, regardless of another’s persons politics, race, or religion, like the Good Samaritan?
Or, do I judge, even neglect, others in need?
Most importantly, do I try to better the lives of others like Jesus? Or do my choices add to a world of car crashes and broken noses?
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July 4th reminds me of many things: cheeseburgers and fireworks; cold drinks and hot grills.
But above all, it reminds me of freedom — and my responsibility to use it wisely.
And what better way is there than to plow through life with Jesus, working for peace and justice for all?
