“The LORD watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widow and the fatherless; but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin” (Ps. 146:9 RSV). The wicked show no respect to sojourners, to migrants who have left their homes and families out of necessity; instead of welcoming them with the hospitality they should be given, they treat such sojourners with contempt; the worse migrants are treated, the longer their needs are neglected, the worse the consequences will be for... Read more
We are not to be judgmental, looking for reasons to condemn others. We are meant to be merciful, sharing with others the love and mercy which we have received. If we don’t, we risk facing the condemnation which we give for ourselves: Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over,... Read more
We have been given a conscience as a way for us to know what we should and should not do, especially when we find ourselves dealing with difficult moral choices. Its directives are to be followed, and insofar as we follow it, we can be seen as aiming for what is good, while those times we do not listen to it, but try to find excuses to justify resistance to it, our actions are ill-founded because we are going astray.... Read more
Loving someone, helping them to survive, even if we know that with such help, they might not be up to some good, does not mean we are supporting them in whatever bad they should do. After all, it is exactly what loving parents do for their children, so that, even if they know their children are criminals, even if they know all the bad things their children have done, or might do in the future, they still give their children... Read more
Despite the ever-increasing profits made by railway companies, American rail workers have to endure ever-worsening work conditions. They are over-worked, as their employers, the rail companies, have decided to reduce the number of workers they employ desire the fact that their profits have not declined, but instead, has been consistently growing. And so, many rail workers, feeling themselves to be mistreated by their bosses, because rail companies are more interested in the bottom dollar than anything else, are planning to... Read more
In one sense, the cross didn’t have to happen. In another sense, it is a part of the eternal kenosis of God, and so is central to who God is. The cross wasn’t necessary for the sake of our salvation. God could have chosen other ways to save us, but each of those ways would not have been as fitting to who and what God is, for through them, God would have ended up imposing salvation upon us as act... Read more
We can pursue the truth in many different ways, each of which has much to offer. Not everyone will or can pursue the truth in the same way. They are not meant to. Each way will provide a different way of apprehending the truth, and in that fashion, complement what others can get from their own engagement of the truth. Sometimes, we might find ourselves engaging the truth in a variety of fashions, but often, we find ourselves embracing a... Read more
It is easy to miss, in the midst of his words indicating that circumcision was not meant for all, that Paul called it a good thing; what he did not think was good was forcing it upon every male convert. God’s intentions were not for everyone to be circumcised, but to use it as a sign and as a vessel of grace for the people of Israel. What Paul didn’t want was for people to exaggerate that good, to make... Read more
“And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors;” (Matt. 6:12 RSV). Jesus was clear: we are to be merciful to others because we have received mercy ourselves. We are meant to lift each other up, making sure that those most in need are not neglected. If we are merciless, we risk losing mercy for ourselves. This was a point Jesus wanted us to understand from his Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor. In it, he tells of... Read more
Our habits and desires often make us react to others in ways which are not as charitable or compassionate as we should. When they do so, we must work to overcome them and put them aside. For, we are called to look out at others with a heart filled with compassion, treating others as we would like to be treated. We should be able to sympathize with pains and sorrows others feel, having experienced similar troubles ourselves. And when we... Read more
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