Reflecting on the Word

By Dr. Karla J. Bellinger

Nicodemus, the Jewish leader, came to see Jesus at night. He  wanted answers. But why did he prefer to come in the darkness  and not in the light? Was he was concerned about his reputation,  protecting his “street cred”? 

Is that what we’re living for— “street cred” or the number of  “likes” that we get? Does the number of our social media “followers”  determine our worth? “Looking good” is what an older generation  calls it. “Saving face” is critical to the politics of many nations. 

We do need encouragement. Affirmation is necessary for human  growth. But some positives can turn into compulsions. An institution  can be overpowered by a fixation on safeguarding its reputation.  You and I can be personally overwhelmed by the culture of applause.

A young man once talked to me about how he had gained “street  cred” for looking like “a good Catholic boy” at a Catholic college.  He got affirmation for attending Mass daily. It felt good. But the  Holy Spirit asked him in prayer to start over, to shed that mere living  for external approval that had birthed his persona, and to make it  new from the inside. He began to focus on integrity, to be reborn  from within—not just to look good, but to be good. It felt healthy  to start afresh. 

Maybe Nicodemus was weary of the posturing that swirled  around him. Maybe he came to Jesus because he saw a refreshing  grace. Jesus suggested to Nicodemus, “Start over, begin anew.” He  extended a hand to help this Pharisee begin again, differently—to  come out of the darkness and into the light. 

What Jesus tells Nicodemus (and us) in John 3:16, that “God so  loved the world that he gave his only Son,” isn’t just a placard to be  displayed proudly at sporting events. By grace, we can start over. The  Savior rescues us from living for the external applause of life, and  rebirths us from within. 

Consider/Discuss 

  • We need affirmation to keep loving and giving and not to get discouraged.  But what about the incessant pressures to “look good”? Can an addiction  to applause and being liked throw us off balance? What happens to our  self-worth when nobody claps? On the other hand, what can happen to  our interior equilibrium if too many people applaud us? What kind of  inner integrity does the Holy Spirit want to grow within us? 
  • Where do we find the grace to “start over?” Grown-up life is no longer  innocent. We have hurt others. We also have been hurt. We ought to be  condemned for the deeds that we have done in darkness. When have you  (or have you not) experienced Jesus’ hand of forgiveness as he says, “I do  not come to condemn the world but to save it”? 

Living and Praying with the Word 

God of glory, you are fresh, you are new. There are times when  this world wearies us with its posturing and demands. On this  Lenten day, we turn to you for forgiveness and renewal. Give us the  grace to begin again. Help us! As we close our eyes to seek you, the  blessed light within, you even more are looking for us and drawing  us to yourself. Holy Spirit, turn our hearts toward the goodness that  is founded only on your love and your truth. Refresh us so we can  be reborn anew this day.

Living the Word logo

Copyright © 2021, 2020, 2019, 2012, 2011, 2010 World Library Publications, a div. of GIA Publications, Inc. www.giamusic.com
All rights reserved. Used by permission.