"Take hold of the life that really is life"
Introduction
Just this week we have been reminded in various news items that the amount of household debt in Australia is at record levels and that with increasing interest rates many families are struggling to make their mortgage payments. We have seen this being played out most dramatically in the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States. Those who advertise easy credit and the acquisition of goods which we can have now and pay for later justify such advertising by saying, "well people are adults and they know what they are getting into when they commit themselves to such arrangements". There may be some truth in this, but there is no denying that the advertising is designed to encourage people to purchase goods even though at that point in time they may not be able to afford them. So debt is piled on debt and at some point a day of reckoning arrives.
Consumerism in our society helps to create a culture of anxiety, because constantly we have to compare what we have with what our friends and neighbours have acquired. It is very easy to believe that life consists in the acquisition of material goods but the New Testament reading for this Ash Wednesday challenges such a view and calls us back to a way of life that really is life.
So, this evening, at the beginning of this Lenten season, can we take a little time to reflect on whether or not or perhaps to what extent we have taken hold of the life that really is life.
"Godliness combined with contentment"
At the beginning of this passage (v.6) Timothy is reminded that "there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment". The truth is that while we may amass considerable wealth during our lifetime we cannot take it with us. Jesus had told his disciples that they should "be on their guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of one's possessions" (Luke 12:15) Contentment is in short supply in our community and only comes about when we have determined not to be caught up in the race for more and better possessions. But this involves a re-ordering of our priorities. In particular it will mean an ongoing faithfulness in our Christian discipleship and a focus on the needs of others rather than being totally self-absorbed. Timothy is advised to shun a materialistic pattern of living and to pursue "righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness". (v.11) But this does not mean that life becomes boring or drab. Rather, life takes on a new meaning and significance and there develops a deep sense of having found our true selves.
This kind of life has an eternal quality about it. It is the kind of life to which Timothy was called and to which he committed himself at his baptism when he made a "noble profession in the presence of many witnesses". (v. 12) In so doing Timothy took hold of the life that really is life. Taking hold of this life was an intentional act. It was not only something that required mental assent but it required decisive action as well.
So, for us, there remains the question, "have we taken hold of the life that really is life?"
"Richly provided with everything for our enjoyment"
Lent is often perceived as a time of sacrifice - a time when we give up some of those things we enjoy, like chocolate or going to the movies. But there is a sense in which Lent provides us with an incentive to enjoy afresh some of the natural and no cost activities which we often ignore and instead immerse ourselves in artificial and more often than not costly activities. This pastoral letter affirms the generosity and goodness of God and reminds us that it is "God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment" (v. 17)
During this Lenten season let us enjoy the natural beauty which surrounds us and here in Tasmania we are especially blessed with this beauty at almost every turn. Let us take the family on a picnic to the botanical gardens or walk through a rain forest area. Let us sit by a beach and enjoy the sound of the waves breaking on the shore. On occasions let us set aside the hectic pace of daily life and take time out to just be and spend time with others enjoying a barbecue or some other social occasion.
Let us try and discover a new, more creative way of living. Let us give some priority to a life which finds time for quietness, reflection and prayer and which focuses on the inner self as well as the need to be active and to be doing something useful. This balance is affirmed in this passage for the writer goes on to say, "do good, be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share". (v. 18) So this Lent let us also be sensitive to the opportunities to be generous. Let us visit someone who is lonely, invite home to a meal a newcomer to our cathedral congregation, take a meal to a neighbour who is unwell, and be responsive to those calls from caring agencies to help those in desperate need.
Conclusion
If we can live in this way then we will, as Paul says to Timothy, "store up for ourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that we may be able to take hold of the life that really is life"