NO PICTURE TODAY BECAUSE WHAT FOLLOWS IS NOT A PRETTY PICTURE

The wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright:
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward. (Wisdom 2:1-22)
Bruggemann says that God condemned the production consumption economy of Egypt and the later production consumption Solomonic economy. Moses lead the people out of this oppression in Egypt. The prophets railed against the excesses of Solomonic empire and tried to convert leaders and set the people free. The selection from the Book of Wisdom is an accurate sketch of what happens when people speak out against the excesses of empire run amok. We can read all this and say, “I agree.”
Fast forward to the American empire in 2012. We then say, “Wait a minute! You cannot apply prophetic witness to what is happening now. The condemnation is uncalled for.”
I submit that God would condemn the excesses of our production consumption economy today. The Ryan Budget is not something God or modern day prophets would condone. Ryan and Boehner, among others, proudly profess to be Catholic; however, they must have slept through the classes on social justice. How can they read the Judgment scene in Matthew 25 and not apply it to what they are trying to do on Capitol Hill? How can they use the principle of subsidiarity—one line in one encyclical—to negate the vast body of church teaching on being responsive and responsible to the least among us?
Modern day prophets need to rise up and say, “This budget is immoral, irresponsible and unconscionable.” Why? The budget keeps the tax cuts for the rich and wealthy and the corporate sponsors of our legislators thus widening the income gap and, incidentally, destroying the middle class. I need to get out my tee shirt and wear it, “I wish congress people would dress like race car drivers. Hen, we would know who their corporate sponsors are.”
This budget would increase military and defense spending by billions each year while cutting funding for program that feed children and their parents. BTW, our defense budgets is the largest in the world and equals the military budgets of the next 32 nations on the charts. This budget is the epitome of what Eisenhower warned about in his military-industrial complex farewell speech. Living today, he would have said, “Military-multinational-congressional complex.”
The proposed budget would put senior citizens at risk because the vouchers for Medicare would fall way short of meeting rising costs.
Any budget which allows the 1% to amass more and more wealth while ignoring the need to provide for the least among us is contrary to the teaching of Jesus. Read Matthew 25 and then read it again.
Some of the 99% is speaking out but the empire is striking back. People who oppose runaway military spending are being labeled as “domestic terrorists” and are being denied the fundamental constitutional right to habeas corpus—speedy disposition of their cases in court. States are changing the laws so that those arrested for protesting an unfair economy will face felony charges instead of the current misdemeanor charges. Read the Wisdom citation above again—it is happening to prophets right before our eyes. Attend to the final verses:
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
Nor did they clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, care for the sick, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned or declare a year of jubilee debt relief.
Woe to thee, America. Wake up before it is too late!!!!!!