As I write this post, the United States government is debating whether to intervene in the civil war in Syria. What would they be committing themselves to? What outcomes can be predicted? Are there further alternatives they haven’t considered? Jesus similitude in this week’s gospel reading from Luke 14, in which he describes a king considering his prospects in a looming war, takes on a fresh significance for us. However, Jesus is not really discussing war but rather challenging the crowds following him to make a realistic commitment to his mission – to move from being hangers-on to become true disciples. His challenge remains with us 2000 years later, and the vitality of his mission to proclaim and establish the Kingdom of God depends on a steady stream of committed recruits in each generation. The good news is that the Holy Spirit is still active as recruiting agent in our world. You can listen to what I have to say about this text here…
Howard Pilgrim