When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough
by Dr. R. Glen Miles
Have you found that experiencing your dream come true isn’t always the best thing? Oscar Wilde is supposed to have written, “In life, there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.”
I heard about a Roman Catholic priest who had achieved his life-long goal of becoming a Bishop. He was quite proud of this accomplishment. His first Sunday after installation as the Bishop, he was invited to preach in the congregation he had first served after ordination. In addition to preaching they asked him to deliver the children’s sermon. He thought it would be a great chance to explain to the kids (and the adults listening in) about his new role. The children gathered on the chancel steps and he asked, “Who can tell me what a Bishop does?” A little boy raised his hand.
The Bishop asked, “Do you know?” The little boy said, “Yes. He moves diagonally.”
Be careful when you get what you’ve always wanted!
Jesus seems to know this better than anyone else. In John 6 he feeds thousands of hungry people. The next day they seek him out again. They are not there to hear Jesus teach and preach. They are there for a show, for another miracle. He says to the thousands, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” Jesus knows that the crowds are there not because they saw signs pointing toward the holiness of God but because they want another meal.
Jesus reminds the crowd that has found him that there is something greater than a full belly. He tells them “Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” The phrase “eternal life” is not about immortality or a future life in heaven. It is, as one commentator says, “a metaphor for living now in the unending presence of God.”
When all you’ve ever wanted isn’t enough, it may be a sign that you are ready to live within the presence of God. This isn’t easy but in the long run it will bring much more happiness and security than we could ever imagine. No matter what is happening in the world, the community, the church or even in your home, trusting in God’s presence will give us the confidence we need to live in and love and, if necessary, move diagonally too!
Grace and peace to you,
-Glen
