The readings of the day, led me to a surprising twist at the end... much like a thriller movie with a very unexpected and unprepared twist to conclude with.
The first and the second readings speak of the structure of the temple. The second one speaks of the waters from the sanctuary, flowing left, around, this way and that way... emphasising the life it spreads wherever it flows.
The gospel of the day begins with Jesus in the temple; his rage at the commercialisation of the sacred space and his eventual chasing out of all the vendors. However, the concluding line of the gospel is a total surprise: He was talking of his body! Rebuilding of the temple again!
With all the emphasis all along on the structure of the temple, the building, the sanctuary, the edifice... the best is kept for the last - the person!
The church as a person, the people! While the physical structure of the church is part of the understanding, tradition and need of the living out of our faith, the highest form and integral part of the understanding, tradition and need of living out the same faith, is the person!!
Personally for me, especially in my present role, this concept of the emphasis on the living person, much more than the physical infrastructure and all the amenities and functionality, is an endorsement of where our investment should most be!
Of course, I don't think Jesus would differ in my subtle deviation when I say that the building up should be of the people of God, not myself! I am not the temple - atleast not the most important or the best decorated or guarded. Shouldn't.
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