Very often the gospel suggests that Jesus was very observant of day to day life around him. His powers of observation come through especially in the parables he spoke. Fro Him we know the image of the sower sowing seed, of the wealthy man with two very different sons, of the lost sheep, and many more. All Jesus’ parables come from his own experience of day to day life. Jesus was not only observant of life, but he recognized that all of life speaks to us of God’s relationship with us and of ours with God.
This morning’s gospel reading suggests that Jesus was very observant of children, and of children’s play in particular. Even the play of children in the market place spoke to Jesus about how people respond to God’s call and presence. Jesus saw the children who play at being pipers for other children to dance and who play at singing dirges for other children to cry as images of his own ministry and of the ministry of John the Baptist. Jesus identifies readily with the children’s acting out of the role of the piper who invites people to dance.
It is interesting to think of Jesus as a piper and of his ministry as a tune, and of ourselves as invited to dance to the tune that Jesus plays. Jesus’ life plays the music of God and we are invited to move to that music.
But yesterday on may way to Co-op I passed two man played chess. They really enjoyed game. This situation brought to my mind another image.
What’s the difference between playing draughts and chess? In drafts all the pieces are the same. They look the same they move the same. They travel in the same direction. They take things one step, or one jump at a time. Some drafts get to be kings, but even the kings move one step, one jump, one diagonal direction at a time.
Chess is a little more complex. You have eight pawns who move one place at a time, in one direction, kind of like drafts. But then you have all these pieces in the back row: bishops who travel as far as they want on a diagonal, rooks who move from side to side, forward and back, Queens, who can move just about anywhere, and then there’s the knight who kind of moves in an L, or is it a J?
A lot of people think the church should be like draughts. We should all think the same, act the same, pray the same, and worship God the same. But that’s not what our faith teaches. St. Paul says in 1st Letter to the Corinthians that the Church is more like a chess set. We all have our different abilities and our talents, but we all come together for the same purpose: to seek out the King of Kings.
Doesn’t matter if you’re a pawn, a bishop, a rook, a knight, or a queen. Whatever your talents are, you’re a vital part of God’s family. God has made you with a special purpose. And you have to discover this purpose just the same like St. John the Baptist did and like Jesus did.
Place those talents in God’s hands and you’ll be amazed at what He can do with all these different gifts you have got.
Tomasz MAMELKA - Timperley 