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What would I ask for, if I had the power or the gift to have a dozen wishes granted to me?
When beauty contest winners are asked this, they often say, ‘world peace’. When you see the horror of war, the ruined landscape, terrified refugees, thousands of broken bodies, how can you not wish for it? Similarly and end to hunger, thirst or disease.
But how could any of these things be brought about, even by the hand of God, without getting some sort of equality first? We would want to redress old wrongs, arbitration on thousands of issues. For peace, we need agreement. Someone must yield. Perhaps many, or even all, must be willing to give something
If such a peace could be enforced, would that really be a good thing? It would be seen as unjust by some people. Fighting might stop, and goodness knows, that would be wonderful. But hatred, the sense of injustice would remain. Is that really peace? Certainly it would be the end of killing for many, maybe eventually for everyone.
Would the victors offer mercy? Would those who have much learn to share with those who have nothing? Would anyone learn real tolerance, to forgive old wrongs whether there is vengeance or not, whether there is acknowledgement of guilt or now, whether there is repentance, or not?
God requires us to forgive whether we win or lose. He does. We can be forgiven for the sins we repent of, and also for the sins perhaps we may not even be aware of, the sins of omission we committed because we were too much caught up in our own needs to be aware of anyone else’s. We passed by on the other side. We were not as the Good Samaritan, but rather as the priest of the Levite, we kept our own garments clean, and left the injured man to die. We are forgiven, if we are willing to learn.
What sort of person do I wish to be? The Good Samaritan, yes, of course. And a lot of other things. I wish my faith were stronger, and I didn’t have the glitches and the doubts that I do. I admire kindness, generosity of judgement, a gentle view of others. I would like to be tidier! A lot tidier! I should write down everything I cannot afford to forget. I should keep my temper – always! Righteous anger is okay, but judgement is not. How I would like to act on that, not sometimes, but always.
And there are lots of other things as well, great and small.
I wish!
Do I?
There is a way to achieve them all, and there is mothing magic about it. That is the whole purpose of life, to learn how to do that ourselves. It only takes me to wish it enough to do it! To pay what it costs in effort, patience, putting others before myself, not all the time, but at least some of it. To think before I speak. To think before I pass by or go around, concentrating on what I want.
It does not come bestowed by magic. That would be contrary to the law of nature, and eventually meaningless, if it was given as a gift. If we care about others, we will automatically give to others. The only kindness to others that matters is born of considering them as important as ourselves. The familiar- love thy neighbor as thyself.
No magic, just wanting to be that kind of person enough to give the time and the patience, the imagining how someone else feels, day in, day out, when you feel like it, and when you don’t, when you are tired, hurt and miserable.
It is fine to ask for God to help you – He will even do some things for you, AFTER all you can do for yourself, NOT BEFORE. There are numerous little gifts, sometimes wished for, and not appreciated at the time. By all means ask Him, ‘Father, please help me to be more understanding of others’. And He will give you opportunities to learn. Take them.
It will not be a gift regularly bestowed on you, it will be woven into the fabric of who you are, with understanding and love, part of your soul, not a garment you wear at times, and at times cast off.
In fact, in my better moments, all I want for myself, I can have, if I want them enough, and will work for them. If I don’t, then perhaps I don’t want them enough to value them, and keep them through eternity.
If I want the Lord to abide with me, He will, if I do what is really my best. Could anything be more terrible that to have been given a great gift, and have lost it because you did not treasure it enough to bring it with you to eternity?
So then you ask, what do I wish for?
God’s judgement is infinitely wiser than mine – I hope I will not forget that, and will learn to say, with Mary, ’Be it unto my according to thy word’. I’ve a long way to go yet!
I wish for you, all that you need to fulfil the measure of your creation, and only God knows how rich and glorious that will be.