The Fall of Man (1616) by Hendrik Goltzius
Bettering Brokeness
Think of a black hole. It is a force that sucks everything into itself, yet remains to be nothing, to grow, to change. Sort of the same way we can never seem to satisfy our appetites despite pursuing with our entire being to fulfill our interior longings.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. However, if it is broken, get to work! And guess what? You are broken! We all are. It wasn’t anything that happened on the assembly line. We didn’t come out faulty from the factory. You see, we were made perfect, God’s masterpiece the human race, if I do say so myself.
Enter us, accompanied by our pride and selfish ambition. The result, brokenness. If you vacuum up gravel, you’ll quickly have a broken vacuum. Don’t try it. When something is used for anything other than it’s purpose, sooner or later it will break. In the beginning our purpose was to glorify God, to be made perfect by Him. Yet we sought and continue to seek to perfect ourselves, glory to… me. Unfortunately for us, it’s impossible.
The Sin of Self Help
Our problem is that none of the things we think can fix us can. Self help books are a killer business for this reason. Everybody knows and admits that there is something wrong with them, something that needs to be fixed, or at least made better. You need to lose weight, make more money, have a better marriage, and there are legions of savvy businessmen and women – we call them authors – who are capitalizing on this aspect of our human nature.
Even when you do finally lose weight, get a raise, and live happily ever after, there still seems to remain a void within. This hole is not shaped like pleasure, pride, possessions, or power. The self-destruction of celebrities who “have it all” is more than enough proof. The only thing that can fill the hole within us is God. And our bodies and our souls are crying out in their brokenness, emptiness, to be filled. St. Paul explains it this way:
“We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.” ~ Romans 8:22-23
When you’re hungry your stomach growls. Your body is talking to you. Feed me! The same is true for our soul, our inner selves. Our souls growling like our stomachs do. Your soul is crying out, “Feed me!”
Success vs. Sanctification
Creation was perfect. We were it’s crown jewel. And although we ruined it, God stooped down to our level and sent His Son to fix what we had broken. Thank Jesus for that. But Jesus didn’t die on the cross because He wanted to make sure we had the opportunity to be successful. No. His sacrifice was not for our success, but for our sanctification.
“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” ~ Romans 8:28-29
Hearing these verses over and over again during a lifetime of liturgical scripture readings in a way makes us desensitized to the magnitude of what St. Paul is saying here. He tells us that God has a plan for each of us. What, you mean I don’t have to figure it out for myself!? His plan for us is at the deepest root for us to be like Jesus. Well, we will never be God, but we can be His sons (and daughters). And we can go to Heaven, which after all is where the saints happen to reside.
It was Vatican II that reminded us that we are called to personal holiness, to become not successful, but saints! Not just the priests and nuns, preachers and prophets, but every single one of God’s creatures are called to perfection, not of our own doing, but in cooperation with His amazing grace. God wants to make you a saint and His success depends on your willingness to work with Him. Sounds like a challenge to me.
Question: In reflecting on your life do you spend more time, energy, and money on becoming a success or on becoming a saint? What changes do you need to make to realign yourself with God’s plan for your life?