Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 / Matthew 7:15-20
It is not all the time that we walk with our heads held up high. Because when we do that all the time, we might not be looking on what we are walking on and risk kicking into something.
So usually we will tilt our heads slightly downward so that we can see where we are going and to avoid stepping on something undesirable.
But that will also slowly develop into a habit and a posture such that we look more and more at the ground and forget to walk upright and hold our heads up and to see the wonder of the world around us.
Too much of looking at the ground narrows our view of things and also we end up looking at the dirt and the dust and forget about the beauty around us.
In the 1st reading, Abram was beginning to have his doubts about the promises that God made to him. He was almost thinking of giving up having a son of his own.
It was then that God took him outside and said: Look up to heavens and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants.
It was only when Abram lifted up his eyes to look at the heavens and the stars that he put his faith in God.
It is when we keep looking at God and growing in faith towards Him that we will bear good fruit.
Looking down at the brokenness and at times, the ugliness of the world will only make us lose faith and get cynical and skeptical.
Let us lift up our heads and look at the heavens with its array of stars and we will also lift up our faith to bear beautiful fruits for God