We seem to be living in a time of mass migration. It is not the first time in history, nor, if humanity survives present day threats like climate change and war, will it likely be the last. While much can be and has been said about the sad treatment of migrants and refugees in the United States, often by those who claim to be Christian, the problem surrounding migrants and refugees is far more extensive than what is happening in... Read more
One of the great Christian hopes, a hope which is not uniquely Christian but something Christians inherited from the Jews, is that God’s justice will prevail in the eschaton. That is, we hope that God will somehow overcome and fix all the injustices people suffered in the world. We hope that those who suffered great oppression, those who suffered great pain and sorrow, will be able to discern how, in the midst of it, God was not only on their... Read more
We have grown so accustomed to ignore the symbolic aspect of the sacraments that many believe that there is nothing symbolic about them. Traditionally, not only was the symbolic aspect of the sacraments understood, it was embraced, leading to all kinds of explorations as to how the symbols could and should be interpreted. Indeed, it was accepted that the symbolic side was necessary for us because the sacraments contained within them transcendent mysteries which the symbols helped us apprehend. We... Read more
While common sense often provides basic insight which can be useful in making judgments, it is far from infallible. It represents what collective wisdom, handed down from the past, suggests for those living today. Much of that wisdom was hard-earned, and certainly, it has value, but the reason why we cannot rely upon common sense, but rather, must judge it, is because we continue to develop our understanding of the world around us. We often have discovered many presuppositions given... Read more
We are told in Scripture that it is God, not us, who is to act as the judge. We are also told, when Jesus comes again, he will judge the living and the dead. Taking the two together, we can conclude Jesus is God. It is Jesus who has the right to judge; anyone who presumes to take on that role and condemn others try to act as if they are God when they are not. Jesus is the just... Read more
Cruelty continues to be the point as Texas Governor Greg Abbott pushes on with his fight against migrants at the Texas border. He dehumanizes them in order to justify deadly barriers, barriers which he says are needed to keep people from illegally crossing the border. In reality, he is attacking those who are coming or staying legally, such as those looking for asylum, even as his own tactics are hypocritical as he has workers illegally cross the border to place... Read more
When we contemplate the eucharist, we can find all kinds of paradoxes associated with it, paradoxes which either can leave us in awe as we consider the implications behind them, or else, they can leave us wondering if we should continue to believe in the eucharist itself. The reason why there are two different responses is that some people easily accept the transcendent nature of truth, and understand they will not properly comprehend it, while others think the truth can... Read more
St. Paul warned us against using some external representation of the faith, however good and valuable they might be within a given context, as indications of faithfulness to God. Externals can have value. They can be used as signs and symbols of the faith. They can help explain the faith. Nonetheless, they must be used appropriately. They are to be treated like any and all disciplines. As long as they are helpful, they can be used, but when they cause... Read more
God created the universe out of nothing; this makes creation contingent in its existence. The nothingness predicated to creation is different from the nothingness which can be said to be found in and with God. The divine nature transcends being, and it is in this fashion God can be said to be nothing. God is not some being next to every other being because God is the source of being itself. God’s creative activity produces being, meaning, the production of... Read more
St. Isaac the Syrian reminds us of the consequences which follow if we do not take care of those in need, such as those who are sick: “He who despises the sick will not see light, and the day of him who turns his face from a man straitened by affliction will become darkness; and he who scorns the voice of one suffering hardship, the sons of his house will grope their way in blindness.”[1] Not only is it dangerous... Read more
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