Everything Has Already Happened
We are all pro-choice. The “freedom to choose” is among the most sacred tenets of our culture. If something offers people “more choice” in some matter (Which television program will I watch? Which yogurt will I buy? What gender shall my baby be?), it’s pretty much an assumed blessing.
So it caught my attention Sunday when I opened the gospel and read the words of Jesus to his disciples. “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). What do you mean, we didn’t choose you? Isn’t that the burning question for would-be Christians—Have you chosen Christ, accepted Christ, followed Christ?
It’s comforting to think that we had the good sense to choose the Way, the Truth and the Life. But it’s just the other way around. The life of God has chosen us.
This reversal of choice reminds me of the wisdom of that saying, “everything has already happened.” As humbling—or frustrating!—as it is to acknowledge it, we don’t make our life, we accept it. That’s what you do with gifts. But mostly we don’t think of life as a gift to be accepted. It’s a success story yet to be written, a happy-ending waiting on one more chapter and one more chapter, a tour de force temporarily detoured. It is our life and it will be what we make of it.
Jesus’ words tell us otherwise. It is not your life. It is God’s gift to you, and it will be what it will be. Your job is to bow before that mystery and try to get out of its way; let it happen.
That’s hard for willful people because what we have to accept is that the whole of our life is chosen, the parts we like and the parts we don’t, the moments when we star and the moments when we suck. God chooses all of it, because if we cannot find a way to embrace it all—the triumphs and the flops, the ecstasies and the tears—we live a stunted, unreal life. We can’t really know happiness. Deep joy comes only when we have welcomed our suffering and found that there is still a place for joy. Once you experience that, you are whole and free. You don’t need everything to be perfect to be happy. Nothing can ever threaten you in quite the same way again.
Someone Else is choosing you today, is choosing what your life will be. Some things have been selected that will agree with you, and some that won’t. Your task—the only real “choice” we have in the matter—is to welcome the whole thing, say thank you, be content.
Thank you. Just what I needed to hear today.
Thanks, David. Timely for me as usual. 🙂 I remember when he asked me if I wanted to follow, and he always asked for a “yes” before any major changes in my life. I count as one of my greatest blessings the ability to see the “exquisite” perfection of God working in my life. And I love …bow to the mystery and try to get out of its way.
I am going to frame this one
Reminds me of Nietzche’s concept of “Amor Fati”. I first learned of it from following Joseph Campbell on Facebook: “There is an important idea in Nietzsche, of Amor fati, the “love of your fate,” which is in fact your life. As he says, if you say no to a single factor in your life, you have unraveled the whole thing. Furthermore, the more challenging or threatening the situation or context to be assimilated and affirmed, the greater the stature of the person who can achieve it. The demon that you can swallow gives you its power, and the greater life’s pain, the greater life’s reply.”
~ Joseph Campbell Quotes from A Joseph Campbell Companion
Further, it all ties into the performance philosophy I learned in improv classes at Second City, which is “Yes and…” What this means is that when your scene partner says or does something on stage, you roll with it no matter what. You don’t deny the reality that they are creating; you say “yes”. But then, you add your bit, which is the “and”. You say yes to what comes, then you make your contribution. One instructor I had told a story of having an important audition, and her scene partner opened by shooting her dead. Well, she said “yes” and dropped dead. Her “and” was to come back as a ghost and haunt him for the rest of the scene. She got the part. Amor fati! Yes and! Embrace the life God has chosen.
Just what I needed thank you!
Dear David. Beautiful hymn on this theme of God choosing us in Hymnal 1940 (unfortunately tune or hymn dropped from current hymnal). I recall asking it be used on my last Sunday in Darien. Don’t have right here, but these are pretty much the words: “I sought the Lord and afterward I knew / He moved my soul to seek him, seeking me. / ‘Twas not so much that I on Thee took hold/ But Thou, dear Lord, on me. ” Best, Leslie
Yes, Leslie, that’s the hymn that was running in my head. Perfect gloss on this post.
And then there’s the confirmation hymn, #348:
Lord, we have come at your own invitation/chosen by you, to be counted as friends
David, One of our best of so many winners. A lot of people think so also! Bully for you! clark
http://www.hymnary.org/hymn/HPEC1940/405
An alternate tune is Finlandia.
David, The words you said are absolutely true, and I admire the courage and humility it took to say them.
Just read this to my mother over the phone. She loves it too.