When the people of Nineveh believed God;
they proclaimed a fast
and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.
What happened to Jonah in America is sad. Theologians and scientists have debated whether a man could be swallowed by a fish (or a whale or Leviathan) and survive for three days in the acids of the monster's stomach. I'm sure that Jesus never had to deal with such sophistry when he warned the people of Capernaum of their eminent danger. They understood the message clearly even if they put no faith in the messenger.
The Gospel of Sin and Condemnation is the Gospel of God's intense, personal and demanding love for every person, for every people and nation, and for the very world in which we live. All is God's creation. All is God's profound expression of perfection and beauty. As a homeowner might invest himself in the complex, time-consuming and taxing work of building a home for his family, wife and children, so has God created us. Because the home is an expression of care and concern, the homeowner can not bear to see it destroyed. Even its neglect insults the homeowner's investment.
Many people suppose that God really doesn't care about them or their doings. They look at the universe of "billions and billions of galaxies" and at the "millions and millions of years" and think, "Why should God care about me? Surely he has better things to worry about."
Not only do they underestimate God's infinite capacity for particular love, they thoughtlessly demean themselves, supposing their own well-being is of no lasting importance. Even when they care for themselves they build that self-concern on the presumption that there is no one else who cares for them.
The doctrine of Sin and Condemnation insists that God's Eye sees and God's Heart cares. "His eye is on the sparrow!" The doctrine also assures us we can know this love as clearly as Jesus heard the Voice of God over the Jordan River, "You are my beloved Son. On you my favor rests."
We hear God's reassurance in our practices of Penance, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation; but also in our Eucharist and daily prayer. We can "live and move and have our being" in that reassurance. It is as certain as the ground beneath our feet and the gazillion stars in the sky.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.