As I sat down to prepare my homily on Tuesday because of our Thursday morning taping schedule, I was hopeful that the violence forecast for our country would not come to pass and that peace would reign. Pray God that has come to pass.

     Today's Gospel and first reading are about God's call and our response in the case of both Samuel and the disciples. The first reading plays out what many people think that the call of God might be like: a booming voice telling us what to do. John's gospel offers a more subtle approach. The earliest apostles are called in two ways: Andrew follows Jesus because of what John the Baptist says, and Simon Peter comes to Jesus through word of mouth—his brother Andrew's recommendation.

     Most of us, I think, follow the way of the disciples. Not many of us do hear God speaking to us in the middle of the night. We follow our desires; we play our hunches and pursue that which catches us. As time goes on, our experience indicates the path that will lead us to the most hopeful, faithful, and loving choice.

     Andrew goes after whatever it is that Jesus has, and he goes to live with Jesus for a day and then becomes almost a chief recruiting officer. Things are different now: we don't go where Jesus lives, but we invite him to make a home with us. The end result, though, is the same. Those three disciples had no idea where their response to God's call would lead them, and you know what? We don't know either. But we do know this, however: it does cost us something.

     One scriptural commentator has this to say about that. He wrote, “Responding to God's calling Christ is not for the faint-hearted. It involves loving our enemies, working for peace, forgiving those who have wronged us, and making our world a just place for all God's children.” And I think that was what was so disturbing to me about the rioting last week at our nation's Capitol: yes, people were responding, but really to what is the worst in us. It was not about loving our enemies or working for peace. The call, rather, was destructive…even the threat of murder for people like our Vice President.

     It is my prayer this week that this sort of call will be rebuked and that we will hear only the call of our better angels…and respond with peace and reconciliation. Our future as a people depends on it, as we ask Jesus and say to him, “Come and stay with us. Be our refuge against the wickedness and the snares of the devil, for you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” May this be our response.