It doesn’t matter how disciplined, pious and observant you may be or how conscientiously you may teach others in the way, if you practice your faith “and neglect justice and the love of God,” you have missed the mark.
This time of year it is easy for the eye to be grasped by the beauty of the colors. The landscape seems to shout “Look!” And in that moment when the leaves or the panorama catches our attention, we are filled with gratefulness and joy. It only takes a second. But that second is a clue to the possibility of a constant state of awareness.
The experience of being conquered or assaulted by evil is always temporary and passing. The triumph of the Lamb is eternal and eternally present. Hold fast. Do not fear. The empire always crumbles and decays. True community, grounded in divine love, eternally triumphs.
Today when I read one particular phrase from Ecclesiasticus, it jumped out at me enough for me to search to see if I had quoted it and commented on it previously: “My child, do not busy yourself with many matters; if you multiply activities, you will not be held blameless.” (11:10) I searched that phrase in my Journal. I got some hits.
There is a way of accepting the circumstances of the day and walking with total trust that God will present whatever God will present. Do not fear. (Do not try to control.) Only believe.
Over a period of several years, I was more occupied in wishing my hour of prayer were over, and in listening whenever the clock struck, than in thinking of things that were good… Whenever I entered the oratory I used to feel so depressed that I had to summon up all my courage to make myself pray at all.
So many have been inspired by the visions of Micah. When these two prophecies are combined, we have a witness that confronts the powerful and wealthy for their injustice, complacency and greed; and we have a witness that holds up an alternative vision of wisdom and peace.
No one can live up to the expectations of a faultfinder. Not even Jesus.
This stuff reads like today’s headlines. When you read the 8th century prophets it is like reading a contemporary newspaper or watching TV news — just substitute Washington and Wall Street for Samaria and Jerusalem.
I think it was F. D. Maurice who said that people are usually right in what they affirm and often wrong in what they deny. Often, when I discover what it is that someone disagreeable is affirming, I actually affirm the same values. Then our discussion is more about strategy or effectiveness.