“Sidekicks” by Brian Flanagan, Fiat Ventures
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Batman and Robin. Frodo and Sam. Han Solo and Chewbacca. Ernie and Bert. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Shrek and Donkey. Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Timon and Pumbaa. What do all these characters have in common? They all have February birthdays. Wait…I mean they’re all iconic partners; duos that got the job done.
Sure, Batman put out some solo albums before Robin came along. And sure, Sherlock could probably solve a mystery by himself without Watson. But that didn’t stop either of them from taking on a sidekick. And Robin and Watson regularly play a huge role in saving the day or figuring out “who done it”.
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus sends seventy-two disciples out ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. Maybe he could have gotten all those towns covered in half the time if he had everyone spread out, but he sent them out in pairs for a few reasons.
For one, it’s nice to have company on a road trip. You really need at least two people to play the game where you try to check off the license plates of Camels from all fifty states. And you really shouldn’t eat a whole bag of Jerusalem Kettle Korn with Dead Sea Salt all by yourself…too much sodium.
Another reason he did it is that he knew the adventure would be uncomfortable at times. They’d be rejected, since he was sending them out as “lambs among wolves.” So he wanted them to have the support of another “laborer in the vineyard” as they prepared people to encounter Jesus when he came.
In addition to that support, there’s also the creativity that comes from two people working on something together. This is a big take-home for us from this passage. Let’s say Bob and Milton, disciples #57 and #17, are paired up and talking to a guy they met at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Capernaum. Bob runs out of things to talk about while he’s making small talk about the weather, but then Milton notices the Giants logo on the guy’s shirt and starts talking to him about the big game last Sunday (even though Milton is an Eagles fan).
So let’s say you’ve got a new girl on your soccer team you’ve been trying to reach out to and bring around to a youth ministry night but you always seem to freeze up and don’t know what to say. What’s the answer? Bring a sidekick. The other girl on your team who also goes to your Church might know the perfect thing to say. So shoot her a text, and say, “Hey I was thinking we could reach out to that new girl, let’s both go talk to her after practice today.” It will be half as awkward and twice as effective.
So my challenge to you (and to myself) this week is this: think of somebody you know who could use a little more God in their life. Then think of somebody who can be your “sidekick”, and go reach out to them. It doesn’t mean you have to end the conversation with prayer or get them to sign up for a Bible Study at your parish, but you never know! And even if you don’t get that far, regular “small talk” can show them God’s love too, in that you noticed them and cared enough to strike up a conversation. So let’s go out, two-by-two, and prepare the way for Jesus to do what he does best!
