Changing from the Inside Out

Homily for January 22, 2017 (3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Isaiah 8:23-9:3; Psalm 27; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17; Matthew 4:12-17

Any young couple can tell you that having a baby can turn your world upside down.  From mom’s first quivering pangs of morning sickness, to the changing shape of her body, to the pains of labor and delivery, to late night and early morning feedings and diaper changes, just bringing a child into the world is challenging enough, not to mention nurturing and providing for that child as he or she moves through childhood, adolescence and early adulthood.  Doing it well requires that parents make many changes to their priorities, their lifestyle, etc.

A recent study in Spain, however, has found that not only do women’s bodies change when they become pregnant, their brains change, too.  Using neuroimaging technology, the study found that when a woman becomes pregnant, the neurons in her brain undergo a particular kind of “pruning.”  The connections between some neurons are strengthened while the connections between others whither.  This “pruning” process happens to all of us in various ways, especially during childhood and adolescence, but the kind that happens during pregnancy focuses on those parts of the brain that help people develop empathy, form relationships, etc. In other words, just as her world is being turned upside down, mom is also being changed from the inside out.

When we make the decision to seek and embrace the kingdom of heaven that Jesus proclaimed from the beginning of his public ministry, our worlds may also be turned upside down.  Using the imagery of Isaiah in our first reading, we move from one state of being to another.  For the people of Israel it was from degradation to glory, from anguish to joy, from darkness to light and from slavery to freedom.  At the same time, we must be ready to change from the inside out.  That’s why Jesus coupled his proclamation of God’s kingdom with a call to repentance.

That commitment to our own conversion is not a “one and done” matter.  It requires regular attention.  If we forget or fail, the consequences will be felt in our relationships.  St. Paul saw it manifested in the divisions that plagued the church in Corinth.  Even as he urged them to be free of divisions and “united in the same mind and in the same purpose,” he had to contend with the fact that they were already divided in their loyalties to different preachers and apostles.  Paul was especially troubled that some put their trust in him rather than Christ and the power of his cross.

We live in a nation, a church and community that are divided.  Our new President is taking office with historically low approval ratings and on a weekend where thousands of protestors will join those gathered in Washington to celebrate his inauguration.  In our Church Pope Francis is seen by some as a great reformer and a breath of fresh air while others see him as a threat to doctrine and discipline.  In our own city we create false dichotomies between Black lives and Blue lives, between public safety and constitutional rights, between healthy schools and balanced budgets, and between creating a vibrant downtown and building thriving neighborhoods.

As we celebrated the national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. last Monday I took the opportunity to listen to a speech he gave at Stanford University in 1967.  It amazed me to realize that many of the problems he described are still with us 50 years later, including poverty, racism and violence.  In many ways our world still needs to be turned upside down…but it will only happen when we are willing to be changed from the inside out. +