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Reflection on the Gospel – Monday, June 23, 2025
Leave Your Land, Step Out of Yourself Toward Your Brother
There’s a well-known critique of religion that sees it as a product of fear—a search for comfort, safety, and protection.
And yes, there are some forms of religious experience that may follow that path.
But that is definitely not the essence of biblical faith, and therefore not of Christian faith either.
The story of the people of Israel begins with a call that is actually a challenge.
It invites us to let go of security, to leave behind our roots, and to walk into the unknown, toward a land we don’t yet know.
Only those with courage and trust can truly accept that call.
God’s call to Abraham—“Leave your land”—is the starting point of our faith story.
And that call has been repeated in many ways over time.
Jesus also calls us to leave our nets, to follow Him on risky, open roads, and to carry our cross.
God—Jesus—doesn’t offer us places to hide.
He calls us to live out in the open, exposed and free.
And this isn’t only about a physical or geographical journey.
One way of “leaving our land” is by opening ourselves to others.
Criticism, harsh judgment, and rejection of others are often just defensive walls—signs of fear, of a need to justify ourselves, of a desire to avoid facing our own truth.
God calls us to leave that land too, the inner space that traps us and keeps us from others.
Leaving that kind of “land” means being willing to open up, to be corrected, and to break free from the nets, chains, and prejudices that keep us apart.
Fraternal correction is important—but not as a weapon we throw in frustration.
It must be a true act of love and support, done with awareness of our own weaknesses and the humility to let ourselves be corrected and loved.
This journey—this leaving of ourselves—requires humility, trust, and courage.