A sower went out to sow....

Zero Revenge 0 comments

You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven (Mt 5:43-45).

Someone once interpreted the teaching of Jesus in this way: destroy your enemies  - by turning them into friends!   It is the only really effective method.  If we try by other means, we will be in trouble with the law!  And even if we were to get away with it, we would not escape the real damage we do to ourselves.  Violence feeds on itself, it leads to more violence; and that in turn leads to still more.  To talk about love is not to be so idealist; it is to be very realistic and practical.  Without love, human life would be a nightmare.  The love that Jesus spoke of is able to break the cycle of violence.   It introduces a new element that makes everything possible. 

Someone said that the ancient Romans lacked zero, and so they never developed mathematics.  Zero frees up the whole system, makes all the other digits mobile, and makes mathematics possible.  Without it, numbers are like traffic that is gridlocked: nothing moves.  Love is like that.  It is the zero response to hatred; it frees us from the depressing cycles of violence.

Treating others not as they deserve but as God wishes them to be treated - with loving-kindness and mercy - makes Christians different and distinct from others. God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike. God seeks our highest good and teaches us to seek the greatest good of others, even those who hate and abuse us. Our love for others, even those who are ungrateful and selfish towards us, must be marked by the same kindness and mercy which God has shown to us.

Proclaim: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! 0 comments

"As you go make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand,'" (Matthew 10: 7)

These words may not ring a bell in us today, but they did for the disciples. Simple and practical folks that they were, they knew of only one "Kingdom" - the earthly kingdom they were living in, the kingdom called the Roman empire with its many vassal kings, a kingdom secured by war and violence, a kingdom whose language is might and power and wealth, a kingdom whose culture is materialistic, sensual, and carnal. For them, Jesus could have sounded radical and revolutionary, indeed. He was shouting for the coming of another Kingdom, and the overthrow of the kingdom they knew of.

Jesus was then telling the disciples: "You are acquainted with the lifestyle of this earthly kingdom. You are to be the advocates of an alternative lifestyle, a new world view where God and spirit should be supreme." How do these words of Jesus challenge us now?

We can learn from our Saint Today: Barnabas. Barnabas has been seen to be a good man who encourages those with him “to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart.” Barnabas is one of those in our communities who is an “Encourager” for good, a “Catalyst” for being faithful to the Lord and working for justice in our communities.

Today we need to take time to look around us – in our communities, workplace, nation – and recognize those who are sometimes “hidden” but do God’s work daily to give dignity to all persons and to bring about justice in our lives.

Those people seem – like Barnabas – to have been “Set apart”…for the special work the Holy Spirit has called them to do.  Often they are blamed for speaking the truth when it is not the opinion of the majority.  Often they are “set aside” because to speak for justice is counter-cultural to the majority in society.  They often suffer – as did Barnabas – but remain firm in their faith. They remain firm in their message about the “dignity” of all persons and the “justice” that needs to be practiced in our neighborhoods, cities, country.

Are you one of them? As you go, make this proclamation: The Kingdom of God is at hand!