I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven for his name’s sake.
I have every intention of getting the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available; and as a health care chaplain who has often anointed Covid patients, I hope it's effective.
But I am a vaccine skeptic. I don't doubt the science or the promise, but I don't expect salvation through any form of technology.
I have regarded the pandemic as a punishment; it resembles the Egyptian plagues described in the Book of Exodus, and the terrible afflictions that fell upon Jerusalem. The prophets recognized the hand of God in every disaster that befell God's chosen people. We should do the same.
I hold this belief not because I suppose the Lord is a wrathful god in the "Old Testament manner." There is only one God and he is the same in the Old and New Testaments.
Rather, I see God's universal claim on all human beings, regardless of their various religions, and WE must turn away from sin and believe the Gospel. When we do so we will be far less vulnerable to pandemics; we will be far more prepared to do whatever it takes to mitigate suffering, develop solutions, and share them equally among all human beings. There can be no rest until then.
Our Jewish ancestors recognized God's universal authority over the Earth and its inhabitants, which included the power to shine on the good and the bad, and to rain on the just and the unjust. If we have better insight today, it's only in our grasp of how many billions of people there are, and how widely their beliefs differ.
We must care for every human being with medical advances, economic equality, political stability, military security, and evangelization. They should hear the Good News of Christmas; and that has nothing to do with Santa Claus.
Everyone should hear "Your sins have been forgiven..." in the birth, death, and resurrection of this Man of Galilee. Born in our time and our world, his Gospel must be integrated into the histories of all nations, and the personal story of every human being. All have sinned, as Saint Paul insisted,
For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus...
If we ever forget to warn the Earth's inhabitants that, "...the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever." we will fail in our mission and lose any claim upon God's mercy.
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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.