Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
Periodically everyone should read and reread Muriel Rukeyser's Ballad of Orange and Grape; or, failing that, this gospel.
Do words mean anything? Does one's word mean anything? Having made a statement do I have to stand by it, or can I act as if I never said it? Can I deny having said it, or accuse someone of malice when they recall what I said?
I sometimes ask the question of the Veterans in recovery. "If you say to an AA group, 'My name is Joe and I am an alcoholic!' can you take it back?" Most agree that statement cannot be retracted. It's done. History might be reconsidered and rewritten but the past cannot be changed.
Our entire civilization is built on the foundation of the word. If the word means nothing our world collapses like a house of cards.
Children know that when they hear their parents promise something. If the promise is unfulfilled the children complain, "But you promised....!" Few explanations can repair the damage of a broken promise.
Contracts are only words on paper, we're told, but a word is sacred. It has its own quality of infinity, having once been spoken.
The scriptures repeatedly assure us, God cannot lie:
- I will not violate my covenant; the promise of my lips I will not alter. Psalm 49:35
- ...the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind. I Samuel 15:29
- by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:18
When Jesus declares, "You shall be holy as your Father is holy" he is reminding us we must speak the truth and keep our word. Truth is the anchor of our existence; abandoning that we are hopelessly adrift in a sea of meaningless words.
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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.