November 16, 2025: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

Part of the problem or part of the solution?

You know, these readings at the end of the Church year always sound so gloomy—wars, destruction, nations fighting. It’s all “doom and gloom.” I have a picture of earth and need some kids to come up and help with something.  We hear about lots of things going bad with our planet [I have kids tear off pieces of the earth picture] We’ve got global warming, pollution, and people starving. It can sound like the planet itself is falling apart.  

But hang on a minute—I want to give you another image. A little while ago, my mom moved out of her house and into a nursing home, she is now in hospice. That means the family house, the only one I’ve ever known, is empty now, and soon we’ll sell it. So, a few weeks back, I decided to spend a day there on a little personal retreat—to say goodbye. I went through every room, remembering all the moments that happened there. Some were joyful, some tearful, all meaningful.

I’d recommend this to any of you who are letting go of something—a house, a car, a workplace, a school. You can do it quietly, or journal like I did, or even with others and share your memories. After going through the house, I decided to “talk” to it. And in my imagination, I let the house talk back. (Yes, I know that sounds a little strange—but stay with me!) I did this in journal form, writing back and forth with the house. 

The house said something like this: “Thank you for letting me host your family for 68 years. Your dad built me with love. But it’s time to let go—time for a new family to move in. New life. New stories.” And that really hit me. It wasn’t about losing something—it was about making room for something new. It’s not just an ending; it’s a beginning.

That’s what Jesus is trying to tell the people in today’s Gospel. He says the great temple in Jerusalem will be destroyed—which it was, about 70 years later—and his followers will face tough times—which they did.

But notice—he doesn’t leave them in fear. He gives them hope. He says, “I will give you words and wisdom… not a hair of your head will perish. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

In other words, don’t panic. Don’t give up. Even when everything seems to be falling apart, God’s still at work.
It’s not all on you to fix things. God’s got a plan. Remember that line from Jeremiah 29:11: “I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord—plans for good, not for harm, to give you hope and a future.”  

And I love how writer Anne Lamott puts it: “Hope begins in the dark—the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.”

Now, people talk a lot about “the end of the world,” or “when Jesus comes back.” I once saw a T-shirt that said, “Jesus is coming back—and he’s ticked off!” But honestly, I don’t think Jesus will return because we’ve destroyed everything. I think he’ll return when we’ve finally gotten things right— when there’s peace, when everyone’s fed, when the rivers are clean, when there’s no more hate or division.

So that’s the challenge today: What are you doing to make the world a little better? How are you helping heal the planet, or the people around you? Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?