Complaining Along the Way

Along the way we encounter lots of complaining people. In the interest of honesty, we do our fair share of complaining and grumbling. We’ve learned well the cultural message that there’s something therapeutic about getting our feelings out about all manner of things in our lives.

In reading various editorials and in listening to outspoken news commentators, did you ever question whether there is ever an unspoken and unexpressed opinion in the world? We have grown accustomed to loud and unreflective opinion on just about every topic and situation. Good news is never expected. Negativity and criticism can always be anticipated.

We might have a hundred people satisfied, generally happy, and others with no opinion at all, but then comes the one negative opinion and the world is supposed to stop and soothe that complaining, unhappy person. Take a check of yourself, your family, the workplace, the Church in general, and the parish in particular.

Martyrdom by Nibbling
Commenting on the situation at a priest’s funeral in a homily the late Monsignor Jim McMurtrie spoke on the ordinary life of a priest. He noted wryly that “priests don’t die of martyrdom, but are nibbled to death by the faithful!” The priests and people in the congregation laughed, because it was sadly true.

Are We There Yet?
As listeners to these several weeks of gospel readings about murmuring and complaining in the desert, we have been a bit consoled and amused. In the various scriptures we find the folks in the desert and the theme is always the same: are we there yet? Tired of the journey and sad that they had left home, the people did what they knew best – they complained.

They complained about everything. We read they “murmured against God and against Moses.” They were sorry they left Egypt with its terrible suffering. They accused Moses of bringing them to the desert to die. The food was running out and terrible. Moses himself complained to God. His experience of this desert living wasn’t much better than the other people.

In the culture of the scriptural people it was forbidden to murmur against the king. In fact it was punishable by death. In tribal life everyone depended on a cohesive living together and co-operating to survive. Complaining divided the community and moral crippled the possibilities.

God’s response was not punishment in their forty

years journey, but he gave them food and drink for their continued journey. He gave them manna in the morning, quail in the evening and even water from the rock. God’s fidelity challenged their complaining and invited their trust to be restored.

Just last week we had Elijah the prophet in the Book of Kings running away from the king’s wrath into the desert. He found himself a shade tree and prayed that death would come. Here we can read “prayed” as “lamented” or “complained”. Again we see the providing of food and drink in the desert by the angel of God. Twice he was offered hearth cakes and water. Elijah was on the way to Horeb, the mountain of God, but he wasn’t there yet. His complaining was met with encouragement in food and drink.

Along the Way with Jesus
In the gospel readings we have encountered Jesus healing and teaching the people. He exhausts himself with the crowds and tries getting time alone, only to find himself with them in the desert. His response is not complaint but compassion. Jesus saw them as “sheep without a shepherd.” They needed care. The disciples in contrast complained and wanted to send them away. Then the discovery of five loaves of bread and two fish. From their complaining Jesus literally makes a blessing. All are fed, men, women, and children. Baskets of overflowing abundance remain – even in the desert.

The Challenge
The Eucharist challenges the community to receive in abundance and to give in abundance. Indeed, we are invited to the desert, neither to die nor to murmur, but to find life in ever-flowing measure. With a bit of bread and sip of wine we encounter full life in Jesus Christ. He ultimately, we believe, is the Bread of Life. In the miraculous exchange we become what we eat – the Body of Christ.

Eucharist becomes a way of life. Eucharist at the Lord’s Table becomes thankfulness and praise. We are invited to be a thankful and praise-filled people before God. At the end of the liturgy we are sent, not to complain, but to bless God in his works and People. We do that by becoming food and drink for the journey of God’s People. We have learned to “speak well” over the bread and wine. We blessed God in Christ. The challenge is to speak blessings over the People we encounter along the way.

As my Hispanic charismatic friends have taught me, we are “bendicitos,” “blessed.” We have no reason to complain nor murmur neither against God nor each other. Now that’s a different world.

CDH