It conjures up thoughts of champions; rugged individualists, explorers of the unknown, captains of industry. Maybe we recall Eric Liddell outrunning all those other chariots of fire in the 1924 Olympics. Or great leaders who have shaped our country over the centuries. Or those stirring last lines of William Ernest Henley's poem, Invictus:
"I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul."
Regardless, people all about us are urging us to seize the day! They write books about it, make speeches about it, teach classes about it.
And some actually do it.
But most of us, I think, just feel guilty about not doing it. Or not doing it very well. Or not doing it as well as someone else. We hear the exhortation. It sounds like the right thing to do. And none of us wants to be accused of wasting a day.
But I wonder: is Carpe Diem really the best exhortation for us?
John Ortberg, in his Leadership Journal article, What to Do With a Day, suggests we can do better. Our desire should not be to seize the day, but rather to welcome whatever the day brings to us; to have confidence in our God and not feel the need to control it all. He proposes we use "Salve Diem" as our exhortation.
Greet the day.
I liked it immediately. It's the perfect term for this week's Lectionary selection from Matthew: the parable of the Mustard Seed. When we read about how the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, we find that Jesus provides the interpretation for us: a tiny seed that grows into something so large that it provides shelter.* But it is hard to read this passage and not think of that other Matthew reference to mustard seeds; the one where Jesus tells his disciples that someone with the faith of a mustard seed could move a mountain.
A bad reading of the Mustard Seed parables would have us conclude that we are supposed to try to out-faith each other; that we must dig deep, muster up some more faith; somehow make it grow to be large enough to move mountains. We might come away from those passages thinking we are failing at this faith thing (perhaps asking ourselves: If not, then why can't I move mountains?).
But we would be wrong.
The mustard seed doesn't "seize the day." It simply is what God made it. By being itself, the mustard seed grows to great size.
This is the takeaway for us. We need to trust in God, the true Captain of our souls, to provide what is needed for this day. Like Solomon in the 1st Kings passage, we should ask for wisdom to handle what comes our way. And we should do that, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6 NIV)
Salve Diem!
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*An interesting reflection on the mustard seed parable: http://dannycoleman.blogspot.com/2012/07/parable-of-mustard-seed.html?m=1
*Short article explaining about the so-called "mustard tree." http://allfearless.com/2012/09/the-mustard-seed-controversy/
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A somewhat different version of this reflection appeared in July 2014 as "The Captain of My Soul."
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 12 (17) (July 30, 2017)
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/
First reading and Psalm
Genesis 29:15-28
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128
Alternate First reading and Psalm
1 Kings 3:5-12
Psalm 119:129-136
Second reading
Romans 8:26-39
Gospel
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
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Join us at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant Friday morning at 8:00. We have a great time discussing the scriptures, eating delicious food, and laughing with joy. It's an hour like no other; a wonderful way to greet the day.
Salve Diem!
Steve
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