March 23, 2003

The Scriptures for this Sunday refer to three signs of the covenant, the Ten Commandments, the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Like most signs of deeper realities, all three have tremendous value but for those who commit themselves totally to the covenant they represent.

In the sixties, there was a pop song about a diamond ring that had lost is meaning and luster for the singer. The covenant of love that it had represented was broken. His sweetheart had given her love to someone else. Once a sign of the exclusive commitment to each other, the ring no longer held any sign value for the singer. Both the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written and the temple in Jerusalem provided signs to the Israelites of the covenant of God. But, like a diamond ring, the stones and the walls themselves meant nothing. Their true sign value rested in the commitment of the people to give their total allegiance to the Lord. Similarly, Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection can seem meaningless to the non-Christians. His passion only has real value as a sign of God's love to those who commit themselves to loving as Jesus loved with their whole lives.

For those who are called, Baptism should be a sign of our covenant with God. Lent is a good time to ask ourselves whether our Baptism has any sign value in our daily lives. Does the ritual we will renew at Easter represent a deeper reality of our total allegiance to "Christ Crucified"? Does it mean that we are willing to die with Christ, confident he will lead us to everlasting life?

SO THE QUESTION: WHAT POSSESSION, PLACE, OR EVENT HAS HAD REAL SIGN VALUE FOR YOU? WHY?

The Scriptures for this Sunday refer to three signs of the covenant, the Ten Commandments, the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Like most signs of deeper realities, all three have tremendous value but for those who commit themselves totally to the covenant they represent.

In the sixties, there was a pop song about a diamond ring that had lost is meaning and luster for the singer. The covenant of love that it had represented was broken. His sweetheart had given her love to someone else. Once a sign of the exclusive commitment to each other, the ring no longer held any sign value for the singer. Both the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written and the temple in Jerusalem provided signs to the Israelites of the covenant of God. But, like a diamond ring, the stones and the walls themselves meant nothing. Their true sign value rested in the commitment of the people to give their total allegiance to the Lord. Similarly, Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection can seem meaningless to the non-Christians. His passion only has real value as a sign of God's love to those who commit themselves to loving as Jesus loved with their whole lives.

For those who are called, Baptism should be a sign of our covenant with God. Lent is a good time to ask ourselves whether our Baptism has any sign value in our daily lives. Does the ritual we will renew at Easter represent a deeper reality of our total allegiance to "Christ Crucified"? Does it mean that we are willing to die with Christ, confident he will lead us to everlasting life?

SO THE QUESTION: WHAT POSSESSION, PLACE, OR EVENT HAS HAD REAL SIGN VALUE FOR YOU? WHY?

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