Rev. Molly F. James, PhD
Chapel of our Lord, Episcopal Church Center
Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, January 28, 2020
May God’s Word be spoken. May God’s Word be heard. May that point us to the living Word, who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
So, perhaps like me you are having trouble reconciling the combination of texts we have for today’s feast of St. Thomas Aquinas. The reading from Wisdom seems quite appropriate. It is one of my favorites, actually. Such a good reminder of what really matters in life. The most important things in life are not things. Learning, gaining wisdom, deepening our relationships with God and each other are what really matters. Then the psalm continues that trend by affirming the value of following God’s law and how growing in the understanding of God’s law helps us to gain wisdom and just to be better people. Understanding the rules God has set out for us does indeed help us to be better followers of Jesus. This all seems to fit quite well for the Feast of Aquinas, one of the most revered scholars in the Christian tradition who helped us to understand how the writings and teachings of Aristotle could further enlighten our own Christian faith. Aquinas certainly has helped us to grow in wisdom.
But then we get the Gospel reading, which is all about Judgment. It feels a bit out of left field. It is a harsh text - with its talk of fiery furnaces and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Yikes! As I have discussed with you all before, texts like this make me nervous. They do not sit well with me. I do not hold to the image of an angry, vengeful God who seeks to punish us for all eternity for our misdeeds and shortcomings. I believe in a just, merciful God who desires abundant life for each and everyone of us. So, how do we reconcile these texts? How do we reconcile Justice and Mercy with a fiery furnace?
The key for me in understanding here comes from how I have come to understand hell. As I think I have shared with you all, my favorite definition of “hell” comes from Rowan Williams’s book Tokens of Trust. In it he describes hell as God eternally knocking on a door we are struggling to hold shut. I like this definition for a number of reasons. It does not discount the reality of hell. It also emphasizes God’s mercy and desire for each of us to know the depths of God’s love for us. And it does not shy away from holding us accountable for our actions. The choices we make do indeed matter.
If we experience “hell,” it is because we are choosing to ignore God’s persistent invitation to us to move deeper into relationship, to understand God and ourselves more fully. Now it may seem a silly thing to say that we “choose to ignore” God. I mean, why would you do that? Who could possibly choose to ignore God? It is GOD after all. But here’s the thing. Invitations from God do not always come on embossed stationery with clear descriptions and a reply card. They do not come in packages that clearly indicate they are from God. And indeed, the evil one, can be very cunning and very tricky. Sometimes we can be fooled into thinking that we are following God’s invitation, but really we are following our own self-interest. We can be fooled into thinking that achieving a goal or completing a task is more important than a relationship. We can be fooled into thinking that the “abundant life” must be the easier way, and so we choose the path of least resistance. But the abundant life can indeed be a challenging path, as is any path that invites us to grow in wisdom and to deepen our relationship with God.
So, if the evil one is so cunning, how do we know which path to choose? I think we have some good answers in our Scriptures today - we seek the path that is in line with God’s laws, God’s commandments to us. We seek the path that will enable us to learn and grow. As our Presiding Bishop has so succinctly put it, “If it’s not about love, it’s not about God.” So, we see the path that is loving and life giving, even it is the harder path. Even if it requires confronting difficult truths. For, as out text from Wisdom reminds us, “All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.”
I invite you to follow in Aquinas’s footsteps - to seek out wisdom in unexpected places, and to never stop seeking to deepen your knowledge, your understanding, your connection to God. No doubt the gifts that will come from accepting God’s invitation are many. AMEN.
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