Creativity Sunday
Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6
This Sunday is creativity Sunday! While the prophets of Baal and Asherah were 850 (1 Kings 18:19), Elijah was the only prophet of Yahweh! As a matter of fact, we do not know his real name, except the name that tells us what he did and stood for: ELIJAH! Elijah’s creativity was to promote the worship of Yahweh. In a world overrun by Baal and his Asherah, a man stood up to proclaim El-i-Jah, that is, My-God-is-Yahweh! What a creativity, what an audacity, what a faith: 1 versus 850! At the end of the competition on Mount Carmel, there was only Elijah standing, Asherah and Baal were down and out. There is another battle raging in our first and gospel readings of today. In either reading, there is just one prophet each, Ezekiel and Jesus Christ, standing at the end. Let us look at our first reading, before the gospel.
Although Ezekiel was a priest (Ezekiel 1:2), the Temple was already destroyed; Ezekiel is jobless, since there was no place to offer sacrifices anymore. As a matter of fact, Ezekiel did not only lose his job, for all his services to God, he too was deported as an exile to Babylon: “In my thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles, by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1). In an apparent situation of abandonment and despondency, God appears and makes a declaration, “they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 2:5). In other words, God is announcing to Ezekiel what Ezekiel already was without realizing it—a prophet and representative of God amongst the exiles, among a people who thought they were abandoned by God.
What a creativity, God appears to Ezekiel even in exile! With the absence of the Temple and his role as a priest, Ezekiel finds a new vocation as a prophet; Ezekiel finds a new job in the midst of adversity. In fact, Ezekiel got a promotion, because God said of him: “they will know that a prophet has been among them” (Ezekiel 2:5). Ezekiel’s newly found vocation reminds us of the inseparability of God from his children, whether they are living in sin or in geographic exile. As it said, necessity is the mother of invention! The mission of Ezekiel was a mission of memory, to remind a people going through tough times, whatever their offenses were, that God was amongst them. This calls for creativity; imagine that vaccine doubters and conspiracy theorists of today are not the easiest to convince!
A similar situation of creativity is described in our gospel reading. With the Roman domination or colonization of Israel, God sent more than a prophet to Israel, He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to the people of Israel. The Roman colonial rule and the Jewish rebellion against it, blinded them to the presence of God amongst them. They were waiting for a warrior, a might man of war. They ridiculed God’s presence amongst them. They demeaned God-man, Jesus Christ. Even Jesus himself was scandalized at their lack of faith. Human beings seem to have much difficulties in comprehending the workings of God amongst them; yet, God never abandons his people! The creativity of God to reach out to his people in human form is very special.
Perhaps the much needed lesson of today is the realization, from our second reading, that God works and shows his presence even through an imperfect and sinful instrument. God’s intention is not to promote a life of sin, but an attitude of trust and confidence in God’s power, rather than human weakness. To encourage us in our weakness and sinfulness, Paul says: “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). This is a lesson that God is always present amongst us, even in the worst of times, like the time of Israel’s exile. God only invites us to be creative and see him as the solution we need to get out of our mess. God invites us to see ourselves as part of the solution and capable of doing something incredibly good to change a current negative situation.
Today, we must ask, who and where are our prophets in the midst of our messy world? Who are those who symbolize the kind of justice and equity the world is clamoring for and can deliver on them? We must discern what God is asking us to do as modern day prophets to get ourselves out of a rebellious spirit and work for a new and better world! We must accept, like Paul, that the time for arrogance is over with, we are all sinners in need of redemption. Above all else, however, it is time to invite God amongst us, so that through a virtuous life of obedience to his commandments, he will purify our messiness!
This is creativity Sunday! To a discouraged people in exile, God takes the initiative to bring them consolation and a promise of a future liberation: what a creativity! To a jobless priest, Ezekiel, overwhelmed by frustration, God found him still useful and he accepted to cooperate with God. Ezekiel loaned his mouth to God as the voice of hope and consolation to those in exile: what a creativity! Despite the lack of faith in the people and their demeaning comments about Jesus Christ, Jesus went ahead to still cure a few sick people, instead of starting a war of recognition: what a creativity! A man whose sins are known to God alone, and who lived in a world that sought vainglory, Paul accepts weakness and appeals to the power of God for strength: what a creativity!
You and I have no excuse, we must be creative in order to give hope to our sin and confusion ridden society. While we legitimately complain about the ills of our society, we must be part of the solution. The example of Ezekiel is appealing: he did not look for who to blame, but offers words of consolation to those who needed it! Only if we can learn to be comforters of those going through tough times today, comforters in kind and cash, that we will become creative children of God. The arrogance that makes us trample on others must learn from the humility of Paul. And from Jesus Christ, we must resolve to be good people and do good, even when people demean and disparage us!
Creativity Sunday is an invitation to transform our world through simple initiatives and actions. This is the idea of Ordinary Time, not the quest to be celebrities, but simple and ordinary human beings having little, but significant impact on their community. Use your voice to encourage someone and your gifts, in cash and kind, to support somebody beaten by anxieties and worries! Be creative in avoiding sin; be creative in doing good; God has not abandoned us yet, no matter our spiritual and material circumstances.