Nothing to Leave Behind

One of the Jesuit missionaries, expelled from Communist China said that Chairman Mao did him a great service by throwing him out of China within two days’ notice, and with just enough belonging that he could carry.  He had no time to pack! 

He realized afterwards how much he could “do without” – all the notes, books, and files and what not that seemed so important were left behind.  It was a liberating experience for him.

Another Jesuit missionary labored most of his priestly life in a Bukidnon missions in Mindanao. When his mission parish was finally turned over to the diocesan clergy, the new parish priest was shocked and enraged that the Jesuit missionary had left him practically a bare convent without any furniture, not even a bed. 

What the new parish priest did not know was that the old missionary had lived in that bare convento all his years in the mission without any furniture.  He had nothing to leave behind.

These two situations call to mind the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading as he sent the Twelve Apostles on their mission, “Take nothing on the journey but a walking stick… no food, no traveling bag, not a coin in the purses in their belts… Do not bring a second tunic.” 

That sounds too severe today.  For even the most austere self-sacrificing missionary today would have at least a back-pack. I guess Jesus does not expect us to follow the instructions literally, but the spirit behind the instructions. 

What was the point of Jesus in giving these instructions?  He told the Apostles not to carry any provisions of food or money in their purse, not even to bring spare clothes. 

To literally follow these instructions of Jesus in our society today would render us ineffective as God’s messengers. Our stinking body odor and dirty appearance would surely drive people away from us. 

The point of Jesus was that the Apostles are to travel light to be able to reach far and wide, to reach more people.  The focus is on the mission, not on the comfort or popularity, or the success of the messenger.

In our days of comfort-seeking culture, even when we are going on an outing to enjoy nature, we would be bringing along our ice-cooler filled with beer, fruit juice drinks.  We’d bring along junk food, portable TV, CD player, and even mattresses and pillows, laptop computer, and most important of all – the cell phones. 

And to make sure that we will not lack electricity, we even bring a portable generator.  With all that stuffs we bring, we practically transfer our home to the picnic ground.  And we cannot go very far!

There was a Peanut cartoon, which shows Charlie Brown getting ready to go out to play in the snow.  He puts on the thermal underwear, the sweater, the outer coat, mittens and cap.  He’s so bundled up that he got stuck at the door and couldn’t move an inch.  So, he starts screaming at the top of his voice.

The point of Jesus is that as his followers, we, not only have a message to preach – the Good News; but we also have to witness with a lifestyle – that of simplicity, freedom from attachment to material things and comfort.

We must learn to travel light in our life’s journey and to be ready to endure discomfort to be able to reach far and wide for the sake of bringing God’s Good News.  We must learn to trust in God’s providence and people’s hospitality.

When Jesus said, “Whatever house you find yourself in, stay there until you leave the locality.”  He was saying whatever hospitality you find, settle there, and do not be looking for more comfort or better accommodations.

Our concern is not how to ensure our own comfort, but to preach the Kingdom of God.

What does this have to do with us?  You and I are called to be apostles, to spread the message of Christ by word, action, and style of life.  Do not say that these instructions are meant only for priests and religious – the “professional” evangelizers.  All of us, by our baptism, are called to bring the message of Christ to the world around us.  We can do better if we are not weighed down with a lot of unimportant things that take our time, our attention, and our money.

Some gadgets – like cell phones, ipods, i-phones, and what not – contribute to our comfort and convenience. They help us do our work more efficiently and quickly.  However, if we are not careful, they can enslave us. 

It is now a common sight to see people standing on a street corner or a bus stop, or sidewalk holding a cell phone to their ears and chatting away.  They cannot live without a cell phone. 

Even at Mass or at stage plays or concert, or in a movie house, we often hear cell phones ringing and people chatting, disturbing people and interfering with what is going on.  Even inside the airplanes, in spite of repeated warnings that cell phones interfere with navigating equipment,  you will still hear cell phones beeping, or people talking on their phones as if that is the most urgent thing in life – a matter of life and death.

Sometimes even on a date, instead of talking with each other, a couple may be texting each other across the table. Instead of serving us, the cell phones and texting have become the masters in the lives of many people.

Does this mean we have to live like Mahatma Gandhi or St. Francis of Assisi, and live like the poorest beggar?  Not at all.  But the spirit of Christ is that we free ourselves of the superfluous, the unnecessary, the piles of “extra things” that weigh us down physically and spiritually.

As Christians we are called to live a simple lifestyle, a life of spiritual freedom, not attached to material things and creature comfort.  For example, we do not imitate the high school girl, who had 26 sweaters, most of which she never wore, or the woman, who had over a thousand pairs of shoes in her closet.

Of course, doing without things must be relative.  A carpenter for instance needs tools, a physician needs expensive clinical equipment, a housewife needs kitchen utensils, a lawyer, shelves of reference books.

But all of us, some more than others, can find many material possessions we can do without, things that keep us from thinking, speaking, and acting freely.

We cannot follow the will of God, if we are tied down by many attachments.

Recently a family had to move to another city.  They spent at least five times more energy gathering, sorting, packing, and transporting non-essentials, or junk, than they spent on moving essentials.  This is a common experience.

We are on a journey to heaven.  The less “baggage” we carry the more we can concentrate on essentials, the more time we can give to the spiritual.

Travel like Jesus and his original followers.