These days it’s a truism to say that the news is full of extraordinary happenings. In an eventful week perhaps the most extraordinary thing I heard was the claim by Max Mosley that the court proceedings, in his action against the “News of the World”, had damaged his marriage! Then there was the disappearance of David Cameron’s bike, which a fishmonger in the locality from where it was stolen suggested was a publicity stunt to point the finger at Gordon Brown and blame him for the area being unsafe! Not that Gordon Brown needs to be blamed for anything else after the disaster of Glasgow East!
Then there was the extraordinary sight of 200,000 – presumably mainly German -people turning out in Berlin to hear an American presidential candidate give a speech. For those of us who are old enough, it evoked – and was meant to evoke – memories of the famous John F. Kennedy “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech over forty years ago.
Apparently Barack Obama undertook his whirlwind tour of Middle East war zones and some major European capitals because he’s aware of his own lack of understanding of world affairs. Relatively youthful and certainly inexperienced, particularly in comparison with his Republican rival, he - perhaps - senses his own lack of wisdom.
But, all the same, I wonder : if God gave Barack Obama the chance to have any gift he wanted, what would he choose? Would he ask for the gift of a wise and discerning heart? Or would he ask for the gift of becoming the next President of the most powerful nation on earth? Given the chances of him becoming the latter, I sincerely hope he is praying for the former!
Which leads us on to you and me! We are not the rulers of “a people so many its numbers cannot be counted or reckoned”, like King Solomon. We are not the potential leaders of a world super-power, like Barack Obama. But we are able to pray and ask God for whatever we want. We all know that God doesn’t necessarily give us what we pray for. Nevertheless, it’s really important that we think about what we pray for. What we pray for is very indicative of our faith and of who we are, not just as believers, but as human beings.
I think that what we pray for most earnestly will vary, according to the age we are in life and to the changing circumstances of our lives. All the same, I think it’s important that we think about and reflect upon our most deep-seated and heartfelt prayer. What we pray for most in our lives will probably be a fair reflection of what we think is most important in our lives.
In two of the three parables that Jesus tells us today, he’s making the same point : that the kingdom of heaven should be the most important thing in our lives. Is it?
After thirty years as a priest, my most frequent and heartfelt prayer at the moment is this : that God will give me a wise and generous heart to serve you, his holy people, more faithfully and lovingly – despite my difficulties and failings. It’s also my frequent prayer, at this present time, that God will renew, strengthen and invigorate us all in our faith, hope and love – despite the difficulties and uncertainties that we face.
Let’s spend a few minutes now praying, bringing before God our deepest and most heartfelt prayer – whatever that prayer is. But, as we pray, bear in mind what St. Paul has told us this evening/morning : that, in everything, God works for the good of those who love him.
