Tuesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

The old water tower at MSF,
now a radio tower

The Lord comes to judge the earth.

There seems to be no shortage of judges in the world. The newspapers daily recount their judgments on government policies, political statements, movies, books, and art shows. Everybody has an opinion and most are eager to share them.

But is there a real judge whose opinions are right and just, and whose decisions, matter?  As the world goes about its business most people would say no. for them life is a matter of struggling, negotiating and compromising toward one’s goal.

One time, when I was much younger and more elastic, I participated in a two-part group exercise. In the first part, everyone was asked to choose a place in the room he would like to stand. There was a certain amount of interaction and conflict but each man and woman soon settled on a particular spot.

Then we were invited to link arms with one another in one large circle, and return to our favorite spots. The struggle was fierce, disappointing and finally instructive. I got within four feet of my spot and, being pulled away again, decided that was good enough. But the movement continued for ten or fifteen minutes. There was no end of it because some people still struggled to attain their goals. Perhaps the most determined outlasted the rest of us and finally got there. I don’t know. But the point was, we’re all linked to one another and no one gets everything she wants.

That’s life. That’s economics and politics and family and church. Even to break away from the group does not satisfy because the linked contestants will inevitably sweep the individuals away from their chosen spots. They’ll end up in a corner of the room, continually scurrying away from the mass of energy.

But is there one man whose position is rock solid, whose justice is beyond question, whose verdict will withstand every challenge?

Christians believe so, but we hedge our belief with the hope that judge will finally prevail after we die. He will have the final word when every person is reduced to helplessness in the realm of death.

Today’s first reading describes the harvest of wheat and grapes. The wheat signifies the just who are gathered from the earth into God’s granary. The grapes are the wicked, crushed in his winepress. We’ve heard a like simile in Matthew 25, the parable of the sheep and goats.

Although this is good news, a promise of justice and mercy that abides for those who have suffered sore injustice in this life, it is not the final word for those who have the right to vote. Our religious belief in a pending judgment reminds us that our decisions make a difference and we are obligated to make them well. Our opinions, attitudes and decisions have everlasting consequences. Although we may do what seems right for us in the moment, something in “our national interests,” the Lord of the Nations will finally decide whether they were right.

We have seen, in the last few years, a shift in the political landscape, from a politics of interests (especially labor and management) to a politics of values (especially abortion, immigration, health care, prison, etc.)  The shift may be good but it certainly is more complicated. Inevitably we have to compromise.

Can I vote for the party that is pro-life but anti-immigrant? Can I vote for the party that is pro-gun control but pro-abortion? This new political game demands all the more investment of time and study and interest. Like Saint Joseph, (Matthew 2:22), we have to pay attention to what’s going on out there. We have to know our candidates for local office (school boards, alder persons, etc) and for national positions. We have to recognize who is trying to influence our votes and why.

Fortunately, the Judge of all guides us with his Holy Spirit as we navigate the treacherous shoals of this world.