"A Life Without Surrender is a Life Without Commitment"
A man named Jerry Rubin made a remarkable statement in a book he wrote called Growing Up at 37. He said that, “a life without surrender is a life without commitment.” I wonder if this is why so many people in our modern world have such difficulty keeping their commitments. Could it be that we’re lacking the ability to surrender to anything or anyone? Are we victims of rabid individualism?
Surrender might be a good litmus test for the quality of a person’s commitment. Perhaps it would be a good way to gauge the authenticity and genuineness of a person’s words.
Maybe Jerry Rubin learned something that many people never do.
Through Christian eyes we know it’s true. After all, Jesus himself established the principle of surrender through his own deeds, his own example of life. His self-surrender demonstrates the level of his commitment both to his heavenly Father and to all of us, and because of that, his word – most especially, his promises – become trustworthy.
We don’t have to worry if Jesus is going to fail us. We already know he won’t. What he says, he means. It’s just that simple. He never equivocates, delays, or back peddles. Take, for example, the promises he makes in this weekend’s gospel passage, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.” Now that’s a promise we can take to the bank. Jesus assures us that we are safe in his hands and we know it’s true because of the quality of his commitment, the quality of his surrender.
Yet, what about our commitment to him? To what degree do our lives pass the same litmus test? Is the commitment we profess with our lips, demonstrated in the surrender we practice with our lives? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Perhaps all too often our lives aren’t what they should be. It might just be that we’re like the story of the hen and the pig. In this old tale, two animals – a hen and a pig – stand in front of a church one Saturday morning reading the title of that weekend’s homily on the billboard outside. It read, “What Can We Do to Feed the Poor?” The hen had an idea. She said, “We should feed them with bacon and eggs.” The pig suddenly perked up and replied gruffly, “I have a problem with that. For you, it requires only a contribution, but for me, it requires total commitment.”
That story might just illustrate one of the problems we face in life as Christians. Perhaps, somewhere along the line, we started confusing “contributions” for “commitment.”
I wonder – is Jesus happy with faith demonstrated through contributions or is he, perhaps, looking for something more from us? Is he, considering that he sacrificed every drop of his blood to redeem us? Might he want something more from us than contributions? It’s as Jerry Rubin wrote, “A life without surrender is a life without commitment.”
What might the Apostles say on this topic?
Well, in today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas seem to have some very strong feelings on the matter. When faced with obstinate and unbending opposition, they remind their listeners of the vocation to which the Lord has called them, “I have made you a light to the Gentles, that you may be an instrument of salvation to the ends of the earth.” Think of that! We, like Paul and Barnabas, are called to be “instruments of salvation”. Now, that certainly requires much more than contributions!
In the book of Revelation, John shares his great vision of a multitude of people standing around the “lamb that was slain”, the Lord Jesus. These are the people who’ve completed their faith journey. These are the martyrs for the faith – people who’ve surrendered and sacrificed everything for the Lord. Of them, the Lord Jesus promises, “They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them" . . . [these are the ones who God will lead] “to springs of life-giving water” and from whom God will wipe away every tear. We sometimes make the mistake of associating ourselves with this “great multitude of people” too quickly, without considering why they are so highly praised by the Lord. If we want to be in their company then we must learn to surrender and sacrifice as they did, all in the service of the Lord, who is completely trustworthy.
Can you hear that thought echoing in the background? “A life without surrender is a life without commitment.”
So, when we look back to ourselves in the light of these readings, we might rightly wonder how willing we are to surrender ourselves to God.
It’s a good time to take a look at that. It’s a good time to take honest stock of ourselves. It’s an opportunity for grace, because when we look seriously at ourselves and acknowledge how we are lacking, we have the blessed opportunity to change, and that strengthens our relationship with God.
So, have we fallen into the trap of believing that contributions are all that’s required? Are we willing to surrender ourselves to God, and to sacrifice ourselves in His service?
Next weekend is our Volunteer Fair. It’s an opportunity for us to consider making some new sacrifices in service of the Lord. Perhaps we feel overburdened already. Well, maybe the sacrifice God is asking is that we put down something else we’re doing so we can take up some new responsibility to help advance the work of our parish. Perhaps God is prompting us to get involved because we’ve settled for less rather than more, contributions rather than sacrifices. Whatever God may be leading any of us to do for our parish is certainly because he wants us to learn to surrender more of ourselves to Him. It’s just that simple. It’s our blessing. It’s our challenge. It’s our opportunity. What will we make of it?
Pray throughout the week about this upcoming opportunity and ponder the meaning of the phrase “a life without surrender is a life without commitment.” It might just be the beginning of a change in your life.