Perhaps you know the story of that foolish college student, very drunk
after partying with his friends, he scampers up the stairs to dance on the roof
of his dorm and suddenly, carelessly steps over the edge and descends story
past story, landing on the hard blacktop. But amazingly he is unharmed because
he is limp, relaxed, and pliant. He rises quickly and is on his way.
Jesus
tells us, "Unless the grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies it
remains just a grain of wheat, but if it dies..." If only we dare to fall.
But who wants that? There is really no way to do it gracefully. Or is there?
Like Jesus, we are meant to plunge headfirst into God’s arms, as dark and damp as
the earth after a spring rain. Like a grain of wheat, falling into the dark
damp earth to have the hard shell of the kernel rot away and then freely sprout and flourish, out of death and darkness will come abundant fruit.
The way to fall gracefully? Perhaps just like that drunken kid, stepping out and over and down, confident in the love of a Father who cannot, will not ever abandon or forget us. We are invited to die to ourselves and fall into the humble, often embarrassing reality of who we truly are. Jesus promises that such a letting go will bear much fruit in the kingdom, as we trust in a Father who forgives us and will raise us up as he did his Son Jesus.
Photograph by Brother Brian. Reflection by one of the monks with insights from Francis Moloney.
