They did not know…. Life is a practice of attention. The drama is to live unconsciously–passively, routinely–in such a way that inattentiveness becomes the principal feature of one’s existence. In the end, the “flood”–biological death–will touch everyone and will submerge those who always lived as though dead because while death cannot touch the living, it buries the living dead.
That is why Jesus insists on the need to stay awake and be prepared. What is important is to be alert, to scrutinize the present moment so as to make choices that will allow us to live to the full–and therefore forever–thus preventing the flood from dragging us away with it.
The future is shaped by the intensity with which we live the present.
Therefore the fundamental question is: How can I live the present moment in such a way as to survive my own existential “flood”? In other words, how can I live as a resurrected person within the context of my personal life story?
The Gospel is disarming on this point. Eternal life, that is, life in such a high form as to conquer even death, is not a question of quantity–of adding who knows what to daily life, which is already so difficult–but of quality: living the usual things (“eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage”) but in a conscious and loving manner. By living small, everyday gestures in a way that is not self-centered but instead characterized by sharing, we build our life like an ark that is able to weather the flood and reach a safe haven. Love makes even the smallest gesture eternal.
From the book: Ogni storia è storia sacra by Paolo Scquizzato, FSP Editions 2019
Show us, Lord, your love; grant us your salvation.
