In the fifth season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Buffy went on a spiritual quest to discover her purpose...her gift. Why? Because she was so drained by the cold harsh reality of her job - slaying demons - that she felt she was losing the ability to love. She felt as if she were growing more and more detached from the joyful reality of daily living. She was informed through her quest, much to her disappointment, that her gift was death. Buffy didn't like the gift she was given. She didn't like hearing that her gift was death because that is what she did, she slayed demons; and the slaying of demons was making her feel hard.

By now, you are saying, why is Rev. Karla talking about Buffy because that show is long over? Well, this simple television show repeatedly used metaphor to communicate our human condition. In this case, Buffy, growing tired and detached from the daily grime of a difficult and demanding job began searching for greater purpose and meaning in her life. Have you ever done that?

Do you ever feel, at times, that you are slaying demons found in places, such as a wayward computer program, serving mean customers, or trying to tame an out of control organization in chaos? Has your job ever felt so burdensome, or worse, boring, that you found yourself growing more detached from reality?

Whether it is on the job or at church, merely going through the motions of work or worship can become an awful drag. It may feel as if the fiery passion of purpose has become a sputtering spark misfiring. When this happens, we often look outside of us for the cause of our pain, when really we should be looking inward at our hearts. Checking the condition of our hearts and minds may render greater answers to rekindling the fire than criticizing the surroundings in which we work and worship.

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, writes, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God." [Romans 12:1-2]

To regain the vibrancy of life, itself, and to become a shining light of love and joy, we each must discover our calling, our passion, and our gift; and live into that calling by using the gift God has given you.

Buffy's ultimate gift was to give her life to save the world - humanity itself - from demons. Yes, another metaphor making us think of the sacrifice of Christ, but a metaphor in which we should also think of as applying to ourselves. Jesus said, "For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it." [Mark 8:35]]

Whatever gift we have, whether we like it or not, we are to use it for the sake of the gospel and for the sake of our fellow brothers and sisters.

We are called to make spiritual sacrifices by using the gifts God gives us so that we may build up the body of Christ. By doing so, we too save the world with Christ; and we might even slay a demon or two in the process!

May you take time during this month of April, of springtime and renewal, to take a quest and discover the gift God has placed in you! Amen.