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This past week I watched a movie I had often heard about but never seen. I had no idea what to expect other than a few hints about an iconic scene or two. Some folks had compared my sisters’ driving habits to the film so I suppose I should have known there would be mayhem, but much of it caught me off-guard. The movie was Thelma and Louise; perhaps you’ve seen it or at least know the story? In case you haven’t, let me just give a general overview; two women, longtime friends, decide to go on a fishing trip in the mountains. It’s just supposed to be a brief escape from the ordinary and, in some ways, unpleasant realities of their lives. Well, things quickly go off the rails for Thelma and Louise and an innocent getaway becomes a crime spree, running from the law, and ultimately leads to tragedy. How something so good became something so bad was the worst combination of wrongs committed by and against Thelma and Louise. In the end, the viewer knows what they did could have been prevented and wasn’t right but you also feel sorry for them and understand how they got into the whole mess.
So, what is my point! A connection came to mind about this crazy movie and the foreboding message from Daniel in the first reading; a prophecy of tribulation and distress, a time of testing that will bring out either the best or the worst in every person. Daniel says that God’s people will be raised up, “some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.” How do we know which one we shall be? How does a person’s life become so good or so bad? Is it nature or nurture? Jesus tells us that, at a time only God knows, his angels will gather his elect from every corner of creation. How do we become part of the elect, the happy group that lives with God forever in heaven? Is it luck? Is there some secret? Or is it already decided who will enter paradise, making our choices meaningless and our destiny a done deal? Do our actions and the way we live our lives move the needle on where we spend eternity?
Some theologians were discussing this problem of predestination vs free will. The argument got heated and they split into two groups: one side said God had already determined our salvation and the other that we must each make a choice. One man, however, couldn’t make up his mind which group he belonged to.
Finally he decided to join the predestination group. But when he tried to sit down with them, they asked him, "Who sent you here?” "Nobody sent me," he replied. "I came of my own free will.” "Free will!" they shouted. "You don't belong with us. You belong with the other group.” So he meekly walked across the room and asked the others if he could join them. "When did you decide to join us?" they asked him. "Actually," he said, "I didn't decide. I was sent here.” Of course the free will people were horrified. "Sent here! You can't join us unless you choose to by your own free will.”
Well, you can see the dilemma. But it’s not an either or situation. As Catholics we believe in both divine election and human choice. The Catechism teaches that "no one can earn the initial grace of forgiveness and justification”, "the initiative belongs to God." At the same time the Catechism teaches that the grace of Christ does not take away human freedom. In fact, his grace makes genuine freedom possible.
We can be confident that, because of baptism, we are part of the elect. Still, you and I must make a choice. Everything depends upon it. It is humbling and sometimes horrifying, to realize that so much depends upon our decisions. Years ago, Princess Anne of England visited the Smithsonian Museum. As part of her tour, Neil Armstrong showed her a space suit used during the moon landing. She touched the material and then asked if there was danger of a rip. Armstrong replied, "The difference between life and death is about a hundredth inch of rubber." Small things can have enormous importance. So it is with the choices you and I make each day. They might appear small, but they are not trivial: they involve the difference between the life and death of our soul. Every moral choice molds a person's character, their inmost being. Not only that, the choices we make might even affect the life and eternity of someone else! This is both a great opportunity and responsibility! We really do decide whether we will "shine brightly" or become an "everlasting horror."
At any moment you and I can turn toward God… or turn away from him. That possibility will not last forever. Jesus warns us there will come a final day, a final moment. At the moment of death we will either humbly face God or arrogantly turn away from him forever. The choice is stark but it is already happening based on our priorities and lifestyle.
Let’s wrap things up by returning to Thelma and Louise. Their adventure, their short getaway, which started so full of joy and potential is an analogy for our time here on earth. Every human life is a journey, a brief moment in the context of eternity. Whether that journey leads back to God or off the edge of a cliff is up to us. Each of us has the incredible ability to become a source of great light or darkness, depending on the choices we make and the influences that form us through our friendships and family life. Our God is so merciful that we can come back to him anytime, no matter what we have done or how big a mess we’ve made. There is no need to run from Him or leave a trail of destruction in our wake. His love and healing is so powerful that he can even make us whole after others sin against us and do terrible things that change the course of our lives. Jesus wishes to help us every step of the way. He gives us his word and his grace through the sacraments. He will never stop chasing us to bring us safely into his care.
Make sure and spend some time thinking about where your earthly journey is currently heading, especially if it ended today. Now is the time to turn to God and let him lead us. May our lives, our choices, and our relationships embody the words of Daniel in our first reading: “the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever."
