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A
Dollar and a Snowflake
Fr.
George Smiga
July
3-4, 2004
Luke
10:1-12, 17-20
On
this fourth of July, a dollar bill and a snowflake can help
us understand the gospel. Today's gospel is clearly about
mission. Jesus appoints seventy disciples and sends them out
to proclaim the kingdom of God. Of course what the gospel
is saying is that we are called to that same mission, to proclaim
the kingdom of God to others. But what does it mean to proclaim
the kingdom of God, and to whom should we proclaim it?
The
dollar bill has the answer. We probably handle a dollar bill
every day, but I wonder how often we look at anything other
than the number one in the corner. If you look at the back
of a dollar bill, what you will find is the Great Seal of
the United States. The seal was designed by the founders of
our country only a few months after the Declaration of Independence.
On the front of the seal you will see an eagle, holding in
its claws arrows to symbolize war and an olive branch to symbolize
peace. However, what is important for us this morning is what
you will find on the back of the seal. If you look there,
you will find a pyramid.
Now
the pyramid clearly stands for our country, because at its
base in Latin numerals are printed seventeen seventy six,
the year of the founding of the republic, the day that we
celebrate today. But the most noteworthy aspect of this pyramid
is that it is unfinished. It only goes about two thirds of
the way up. The conscious decision on the part of the founders
of this nation to represent our country as an unfinished pyramid
was intended to make a statement. It asserts that America
is unfinished. Despite all of our strength, wealth, and influence,
the nation is yet complete. We are still working to finish
the principles of justice and freedom and peace on which this
country was founded. It is still a task to be completed two
hundred and twenty six years after the nation was formed.
There
is more. If you look at the unfinished part of the pyramid,
what you find is an eye and a Latin motto that reads, “Annuit
coeptis,” which translated means, “God has favored the undertaking.”
The eye is the eye of God. Together with the motto it forms
an act of faith on the part of the founders of this country.
It testifies that they believed that God was involved both
in the founding and finishing of this nation, that God's activity
was a part of their vision.
What
the dollar bill tells us is that we are called to bring our
faith to the finishing of America. Now clearly there are many
faiths in America. There is the Christian faith, the Jewish
faith, the Moslem faith, the Hindu faith, the faith of most
religions of the world. What this symbol of our democracy
tells us is that every person of faith is not to keep silent,
but rather to contribute his or her beliefs to the free and
public debate over the issues in our political life.
We
as Catholic Christians are called to add the voice of our
faith to the political discourse of our country. As Bishop
Pilla has said very clearly in a statement he released this
week on political life, we as believers are expected to contribute
our faith convictions to the discussions on all the important
issues that are facing our country—on abortion, on war, on
euthanasia, on health care, on capital punishment, on education
and poverty. All of these political issues have a moral dimension.
The same Christ that sent out his disciples to proclaim the
good news of the kingdom expects us to contribute our voices
to the future of what our country will become.
The
Great Seal of the United States calls people of faith to help
complete America. In a specific way that is our mission today.
But as soon as we hear that call, it is easy to become discouraged.
The issues of our country are so vast and so complex. Any
one of us could say, “What difference does my involvement
make? Maybe I have the freedom to influence things in my own
life, in my own family, but on these great political issues
of our time, who cares what I believe, what I stand for, how
I vote?”
Here
is where the snowflake is helpful. A field mouse met a mourning
dove, and asked this question: “How heavy is a snowflake?
How much does it weigh?”
The
mourning dove responded, “Nothing more than nothing.” “Then
explain this,” said the field mouse. “I was sitting on the
branch of a pine tree, and it began to snow, heavily but quietly,
without any violence. I began to count how many snowflakes
landed on the branch on which I sat. I counted every one—3,791,954
snowflakes. Then the 3,791,955th snowflake fell, weighing
nothing more than nothing. The branch broke. What does it
mean?”
The
mourning dove thought for a minute and said, “Perhaps it means
that there is only one person's voice lacking in order to
bring peace to the earth.”
Perhaps
the mourning dove was right. Perhaps there is only one person's
voice, weighing nothing more than nothing, which is missing
to bring about the freedom and justice that can complete America.
Just be sure that that absent voice is not yours.
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