Impermanence
AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30 • PM Psalm 119:121-144
2 Samuel 14:21-33 • Acts 21:15-26 • Mark 10:17-31
The story of the Rich Young Man in Mark is one we are all familiar with. This is a story I have wrestled with so I want to highlight my interpretations of two verses.
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
As a kid I read this and thought God wanted everyone to give all their money away and be homeless. I’ve grown to interpret this as a warning about the impermanence of this life. It is so easy to become attached to objects, status, power, and wealth. However Jesus calls on us to recognize these things as temporary and unimportant in the end. In Buddhism sand mandalas are used to illustrate the concept of impermanence. Monks spend days making gorgeous designs only to destroy it by mixing the sand and sweeping it away. We have limited time to build our lives, earn money, and create an impact, but at the end we must accept that all we built will be mixed and swept away like sand. When this life ends all will be stripped away and we will be small as we enter the kingdom of God. There is no room for the riches and baggage of this life to come with us.
“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
As a kid I imagined this verse like the DMV where they called the last number taken first and was rightfully annoyed. I now see this as a call to servant leadership. I think it is rare for people to serve with completely pure intentions. We are all human and get a charge out of the attention we receive when we serve others. In politics today we have seen how individuals run on platforms of putting the last first and reep the benefits of increased wealth and prestige. This verse should be thought of beyond the context of quantified earthly wealth because that prompts a world view through a lens of entitlement. Instead this verse should inspire pure intentioned service and love. We should live our life working to serve without expectation of any acknowledgement or reward. While we can’t fully understand the end of life, we can work to live with the impermanence and act as though we are last.
Written by Hadley Thomas
Hadley recently graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a biochemistry degree and is working in Washington D.C. as a Senate intern. She will start medical school in August and will commission into the U.S. Navy as a physician upon graduation. She is passionate about her faith and is excited to share her perspective and interpretations with the amazing congregation of Saint Paul’s.