When we heard that cry, it conjured up thoughts of champions; rugged individualists, explorers of the unknown, captains of industry, great leaders who shaped our world over the centuries. Maybe we thought of my ancestor, William Wallace, and his call for “Freedom!” People like Ernest Hemingway and Amelia Earhart came to mind. It might have invoked images of Eric Liddell outrunning all those other “chariots of fire” in the 1924 Olympics.
Or perhaps we would recall 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."
People all about us urged us to seize the day! They wrote books about it, made speeches about it, taught classes about it ... And some actually did it ... But most of us, I think, just felt guilty about not doing it. Or not doing it very well. Or not doing it as well as someone else. We heard the exhortation. It sounded like the right thing to do. And none of us wanted to be accused of wasting a day.
But I have to wonder: is Carpe Diem really the best exhortation for us ... now? Do we need a battle cry?
John Ortberg, in his Leadership Journal article, What to Do With a Day, suggests we can do better. Our desire, he asserts, should not be to seize the day, but rather to welcome whatever the day brings to us. We should 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 Matthew selection: the parable of the Mustard Seed. When we read about how the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, Jesus provides the interpretation: 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, wrongly, that we are supposed to try to, somehow, out-faith each other; that we must dig deep to come up with some more faith. We’ve been led to believe we can somehow make it grow large enough to move mountains. We might come away from those passages thinking we are failing at this faith thing (perhaps asking ourselves: If my faith isn’t weak, then why can't I move mountains?). But we would be wrong.
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. That’s why the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed: massive growth is inevitable because the mustard seed knows no limits.
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. That’s what mustard seeds do. And that is the takeaway for us. We must trust that God can and will use us as we are.
With that kind of faith, we can all say “Salve Diem!”
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PHOTO: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Turns-out-Im-Not-an-Afternoon-Person-Either-Coffee-Cup-Unique-Cheap-Funny-Cof-/124028068151
Somewhat different versions of this reflection appeared in July 2017 as “Seize the Day!” and July 2014 as "The Captain of My Soul."
*An interesting reflection on the mustard seed parable:
CLICK HERE: http://dannycoleman.blogspot.com/2012/07/parable-of-mustard-seed.html?m=1
* Short article explaining about the so-called "mustard tree."
CLICK HERE: http://allfearless.com/2012/09/the-mustard-seed-controversy/
Are you on your second cup of coffee and still can’t face the day? Listen to Chris Roberts’ cover Gordon Lightfoot’s song, Second Cup of Coffee:
CLICK HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JivIHrVxTMs
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 12 (17) (July 26, 2020)
CLICK HERE: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=152
Genesis 29:15-28
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128
1 Kings 3:5-12
Psalm 119:129-136
Romans 8:26-39
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
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How do you face the day in this pandemic? I wish we could get together and talk about that. Sadly, the virus keeps blocking us from gathering for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. Feel free to email me if you want to kick around any thoughts about the weekly scriptures.
In the meantime, let’s all keep reading and keep praying for one another.
Blessings,
Steve
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