Pax Christi South

Daniel 9:4b-10 is a profound acknowledgment of sinfulness. God is just, merciful and compassionate and we have rebelled. What sin? We usually think of sin as an individual, private matter. Sin also has communal or corporate aspects. In spite of what we may have retained from our catechism training, there is more to sin than the Sixth Commandment.

For well over a century now, Popes and bishops have been telling us that sin is social. We sin when we fail to do the best for the least among us. We sin when we go along with the whims and wiles of empire to assure our own comforts. We sin when we purchase sweat shop products.  We sin when we acquiesce to unjust wars. Our consumerism makes us complicit in the sin of oppression.

The put-down tag of the day is “socialist.” If “conservatives” label feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless as socialism, so be it. It is the essence of the Christian Gospel. “We have sinned, been wicked, and done evil.” Lent is a time to turn things around.

Jesus came to show us the face of Abba God. Luke 6:36-38 assures us that Abba God is merciful. Having experienced the mercy and compassion of God, we are to be mercy to others.

Judging and condemning is counter to compassion. When we attribute motives and intentions to others, we are not being merciful.

Forgiveness is the key to Christian living. If we fail to forgive those who have offended us, we end up destroying ourselves. It behooves us to go through the process of forgiving. It does take time but we must do it.

Give and you will receive gifts. I think that Jesus is saying here that what goes around comes around. God is merciful and compassionate. He is not an angry sin checker in the sky who is waiting to zap us for our sins. Sin sets in motion dynamics that have natural consequences; therefore, what we measure out will be measured to us.

Back to current political scene. Government cannot do everything; however, the purpose of government is to make sure people have what they need in order to be citizens. If people are to participate in democratic government, government and private agencies must work together to assure that people have food, shelter, education, and health care so they can participate in government. This is nothing less than what Jesus requires of his disciples in Matthew 25. We seem to not have problem spending untold billions for war and defense. We balk and rebel when our leader speak about spending for education and health care. There is something un-Christian about this picture. It does not reflect Jesus’ values; therefore, at times, we must be counter cultural and call our elected officials to compassion. Our standard is what we have done to and for the least among us.