Why Does God's Generosity Bother Us?
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I’ve always found this reading from Isaiah to be beautiful and reassuring. It invites “the scoundrel” (namely me and any other scoundrel-ish people out there) to seek God. The offer is always there to put aside all that keeps us from God in order to draw closer to God, God who is “generous in forgiving.” Then the reading names what is true – God’s thoughts are not my thoughts. My thoughts can be small, petty, negative, and anxious, or sometimes compassionate and loving, but probably not as much as God’s thoughts are. My ways are not God’s ways either. God is generous in forgiving, and I, in my best moments, am also generous in forgiving, or just generous or sometimes forgiving. In my worst moments I’m neither of those. I’m not God – thank God. However, the invitation is there to seek God, and in doing so, I hope I become more like God too.
The generosity of God is something, isn’t it? It’s abundant beyond what seems possible, but it’s also subtle, and so I know if I’m not paying attention, I might not notice how generous God is.
I’ve been blessed to have very generous people in my life who have shown me the generosity of God. I’m thinking of both of my grandmas. Each of them was generous with their time and their care. One was extra generous with her treats that she would give my sister and I, directly and on the sly. She also spent time with us and listened. I remember sitting in her kitchen and chatting, chatting, chatting, chatting her, and she just listened to my chatter while she cooked. My other grandma was a simple woman who didn’t like to have a lot of stuff around, but any of the stuff she had, she was quick to give away. We used a joke about it – you couldn’t compliment her clothes or her stuff because she would give it to you if you did. She spent a lot of time doing things with us too, taking us on little adventures, making memories. I was shaped by the love and care and generosity of both women. It seems like their ways were a lot like God’s ways. I don’t know if their thoughts ran that way too, but I suspect they did. Since they both had such a hand in our raising and put up with all the goofy stuff my sister and I did, I would say they were generous in forgiving too.
Are there people like this in your life too, people whose generosity is so beautiful and abundant and evident that it reminds you of God? I hope so. Or maybe that kind of generosity comes from you. If it does, I hope people really appreciate it.
If we still need an example of what it looks like to be that generous, we have the story from the Gospel of Matthew about the workers in the vineyard. It’s a pretty quirky way to run a business, right? People who work all day get the same wage as people who come in at the last minute and don’t do the same amount of work. Human logic says that the ones who work the most should get paid the most. However, God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. In the story, the landowner shows us God’s generosity by giving abundantly to everyone, no matter how long they worked.
How does this land with you? I think I have kind of an exaggerated sense of fairness, so this bothers me in much the same way the landowner’s generosity annoys the workers who labored all day. But when I stop to think about it, why am I bothered? Like the landowner says, who cares if everyone is paid the same? He can pay whatever amount he wants. He generously offered everyone a job that none was entitled to have. Maybe it’s the work itself that’s a value and not just the money. I mean, really, I work hard and I don’t get paid nothing! :) But I’m also a sister who doesn’t have to make a living, so there’s that.
So, what’s our call in all this? I guess for me it seems pretty obvious – to give more generously without counting the cost. I do usually give generously, but sometimes I count the cost. Yet, why should I care about the cost? Isn’t the value in the work itself, which isn’t really work, but a life spent in service and union with God?
It sounds nice when I put it that way, but I also know I’m human. My thoughts are not God’s thoughts, nor are my ways God’s ways. However, I know that God is constantly guiding me, helping me to learn and grow so that I, little by little, become more loving and generous. And I hope that I, and we all, move little by little into alignment with God’s ways. God, may it be so. Amen.
For reflection:
What resonates with you from these readings?
How are you generous in forgiving?
In what ways are your thoughts and your ways not like those of God?
How is God calling you to be more like God?
By Sister Leslie Keener, CDP
Sister Leslie Keener, CDP is the director of God Space, a vibrant spirituality ministry building community in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. A Sister of Divine Providence, she holds a Master’s in Ministry and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction and Retreats from Creighton University. Sister Leslie guides retreats, offers spiritual direction, and nurtures vocations within her community. Passionate about helping people encounter God in everyday life, she delights in meaningful conversations, dancing, and spicy food along the way.