May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead
the great shepherd of the sheep
by the Blood of the eternal covenant,
furnish you with all that is good, that you may do his will.
S ome time ago, about 1996 when the cloned sheep Dolly made international news, a forgettable cop-and-crook TV show depicted two cloned human beings as the bad guys. It ended after 42-48 minutes with the usual chase, implausible gun fight, and mandatory fist fight; and I suppose the suits were satisfied that they'd sold whatever products their sponsors were hawking.
But the public apparently didn't buy the notion that cloned human beings are necessarily evil. So the gumshoe shows reverted to the usual pariahs, immigrants and African-Americans. The entertainment industry needs stereotypical bad guys; the public needs to fear someone. It sells stuff and keeps our fat world rolling.
With a similar ploy, many politicians play on the insecurities of a guilt-ridden, anxious public to promote themselves. We saw plenty of that during the recent election cycle; and some people doubted the leadership of the Catholic Church who ordinarily support the least powerful and most vulnerable among us. One woman insistently told me that "They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists." (She didn't add, "And some, I assume, are good people.") I suggested that she listen to the Church rather than the propaganda of either party.
Jesus saw what was really happening, that the poor were being exploited and driven by political and economic forces beyond their control -- as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. As cruel as our present capitalism is, we've seen worse, more abusive and wasteful systems,
The poor followed Jesus into the desert as they hoped he would be the long awaited Messiah who would change everything. He did what he could at the moment for they were like sheep without a shepherd. He fed them first with the Word of God, and then with a miraculous display of God's mercy.
Our first duty as Church is to announce the Kingdom of God to an unbelieving and skeptical world. And then we make our faith real by the practice of charity. We are called to give as God gives.
I have heard preachers say, "Give until it hurts." But I suppose we should give as Jesus gave, until it stops hurting. For we know that God's providential generosity is inexhaustible. His mercy endures forever.
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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.