Fear

"Fear the LORD." This is an old view now. My evangelical friends would criticize this view. They would say that God wants our love, not for us to fear him. They're right about the love part. As for the fear, I've always taken it to mean respect, revere, be awed by, and--yes--fear. Because, God is awesome. If people fall to the ground when an angel shows up, and they do, then God would make you drop a load in your pants I'd imagine. Anyway, to the point. I was reading Psalm 130 tonight. You guessed it; something jumped out. In the third verse it says that God forgives us, and that is why we should fear Him.

"For there is forgiveness with you; therefore you shall be feared." Psalms 130:3 (BAS)

The Kingdom of Heaven Belongs to Me

In Matthew Ch 5, Jesus says that the Kingdom belongs to those who know they are spiritually poor. Lord God, strengthen my faith; I ask this in the name of your Son my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Coins

Jesus tells a parable of a man who gives each of his servants money when he goes away. The good servants invest the money and gain interest. To me, this story has always been about faith. God gave me faith (the money). I could keep it to my self (put it in the ground), or tell others (invest it). If they become believers, that is the interest gained.

So Many Good Words

As we move through Holy Week, I keep finding God speaking to me through the written word, both scripture and in the liturgy. I wanted to write a post for each one, like the scripture reading about St. Paul talking about how the cross was foolishness to those who do not believe. But, today (Good Friday) I was asked to pray for people. The words of the prayer immediately brought to mind militant atheists. I was asked to pray for those who have lost their faith, who have let sin make them indifferent to Christ, who actively oppose Christ by word or deed, who are enemies of the cross of Christ, and who persecute His disciples. There were of course other prayers. But, this is what jumped out at me. I was praying for atheists here, militant atheists. Jesus said to pray for your enemies. So, I thought this was great. God willing, their hearts will be turned.

Bad Things Good People

One of the questions I think most people have a hard time answering--and I do to--is, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Some will tell you that it is judgement. Somewhere in the New Testament, Jesus (I think) tells us that a tower didn't fall on some people because of their sin, but warns that if we do not stop sinning we too will die. Anyway, it's a hard question to answer. Why do bad things happen? At the overnight vigil after the Maundy Thursday service, there was some reading material left out for the people keeping the vigil. Well, I read an alright answer (which apparently you can find in Julian of Norwich's Showings at or about page 300). It made sense to me anyway. Check it out if you get the chance. I've often answered that Satan is the one who brings evil and suffering into our lives. Well, people will then ask, "Why does God allow it?" That question is harder to answer. Most people who read Job, especially if they are an atheist, will condemn God as being a heartless being who plays with people for His amusement. Maybe there was more to Job's story. Maybe he had boasted or fallen into the pride trap, much as St. Peter did. But, this is speculation on my part. And, maybe Job is not the best example. I really don't have a good answer I guess. But Julian of Norwich had an okay answer. If you've been reading my posts for a while, there's the shadow on the cave wall thing as well, that this life isn't reality. The next life is important. That, however, is hard for some people to take. Maybe it's to shape us. Maybe it's to form and mould us. However, in all our pain, God is with us through our suffering.

Psalms Again

As they often do, the Psalms speak to me; God interacts with me through scripture. I was reading the 73rd Psalm the other day, and I thought, "Man, doesn't this hit the nail on the head." We all envy the rich, the powerful. We really really envy them. We want their life. I guess we covet what they have. Father, forgive us. Amen.

TV Show Quote

I heard a good line on a TV show that went something like this:
"Our scars tell us where we've been. They don't have to dictate where we're going."