Thoughts on Wednesday's gospel

JN 17:11b-19

Today Jesus tells us that we are not of the world, though we have been sent into the world. These words have been at the heart of large disagreements over our relationship to creation. Some would say that because we are not of the world that our primary concern is with the world above rather than the world below. Others, particularly Franciscans, would say that we have a responsibility to focus on the world around us.

It seems that both sides can go a little overboard in their views. Those focussing on the next world can sometimes miss on the need to deal with the needs of people in the here and now. On the other hand, those who overly focus on this world can sometimes forget about the real transcendent and start treating creation as the end rather than the beginning.

So, yes we are not of the world rather we are of God, but we are in the world and have been placed in this creation to work out our salvation. We cannot ignore the needs of creation any more than we can ignore the needs of our neighbor. All of creation groans as it awaits its salvation in the Lord.