Who is your “Joshua”?
18 August 2017
In the time of Joshua, the tribes of Israel needed reminding about who God was and how God had been faithful to them throughout history. In today’s reading we see that Joshua was the person who reminded them of the goodness, truth and beauty of the God they served. The people responded with a song of thanksgiving, and they enshrined in their very culture this act of remembering, continually bringing to mind and making present the faithfulness of God who shepherded them.
How has God shepherded you over the course of your life? Do you need to remind yourself of God’s goodness in bringing you to your current circumstances? Are there examples of God’s goodness, such as your family, friends, comparative wealth, that you take for granted? Who is your “Joshua”, willing to remind you in dark times?
Jesus also reminds us in the Gospel that God’s faithfulness and goodness is visible in the design of creation. When I see a beautiful sunset I can know something of the mind of God; that God is revealed in beauty. In today’s Gospel reading Jesus points to a deep purpose and beauty in the complementarity of men and women that is expressed in Holy Matrimony. Regardless of your stance on the current political debate, it is worthwhile recognizing and remembering that there is something beautiful here that has formed the foundation of society for thousands of years.