John Steinbeck's, The Grapes of Wrath, graphically helps us understand what happens when a land is parched. Not only does the earth fail to support any kind of crop, it forces farmers, especially poor ones, to pick up their families, their few belongings and search for a place and a community where they can use their skills to rebuild their lives. Already under stress because of their poverty, families in a "parched land" find themselves struggling to stay alive physically and spirituality.
Every believer finds himself or herself in parched land from time to time. Whether struggling with too much or not enough to do, with family members who have lost their way, or the fear of losing friends to death, we wonder where God has gone. Unable to find a peaceful place within or without, we rush through our prayers, find ourselves short tempered with others, and fail to respond to those in need. Desperate for a drop of water or a word of comfort and hope, we beg God to show us a place or lead us to a situation where we can make sense of the senseless.
The psalmist reminds us to be honest when our spirits are dry, to strip ourselves before the Lord and beg for relief. Acknowledging how needy we are and how desperate we are for God's help transforms our struggles into a prayer. Whether or not God answers in a way that helps us immediately, at least we have presented ourselves honestly to God and spoken of our desire for God's intervention.
In a recent interview, Pope Francis challenged religious leaders not to judge people who are struggling in this way and who are thirsty and lost, but to accompany them. We cannot do less.
The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. The bishops, particularly, must be able to support the movements of God among their people with patience, so that no one is left behind. But they must also be able to accompany the flock that has a flair for finding new paths. (Pope Francis)Today, accept the dry places within yourself and ask God for a drop of water.
What parched place most troubles you in life?
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