The readings for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday offer us some thoughts for consideration. Habakkuk must have been a peacemaker. He definitely wanted to restore justice and right order in a world run amok. He looked around and all he saw was violence. He cried out to God. God did not offer him immediate consolation—a quick fix. Rather, God referred him to the vision. In the accompanying Gospel reading, Jesus urged his followers to have faith and to be faithful. Paul encourages Timothy not to be bashful about proclaiming what he has learned—the good news of nonviolence. Continue reading →

Amos has some stern words for us in chapter 6 of his book. It is a dire warning to the rich who anoint themselves with the finest of oils and drink the choosiest of wines while “Joseph” [their country] goes to ruin. They are complacent. They lie on ivory beds. The eat lamb and beef and make music on the harp. They are complacent! Continue reading →

Today’s Gospel dealt with the sower and the grain. Much of the seed that was sown did not come to full maturity. The rocks, the shallow soil, or the snares of daily cares and anxieties kept the seed from taking root. Jesus wants the seed to fall on rich soil. He wants us to accept his word fully and without qualification. How often we fall short individually and collectively. Continue reading →

This is the letter I emailed to President Bush and my representatives in Congress. Do you have a letter you would like to share?

Dear President Bush and Members of Congress,
As a citizen and Christian, I am writing to all of you. You will soon be receiving a report from General Petraeus on “progress” in Iraq. Will he paint a rosier picture of progress than the GAO painted a few days ago? Will you, Mr. President, go into denial mode because your unilateral invasion of Iraq has been a miserable failure—a quagmire shall we say? Will you, members of Congress, go along with this continued refusal to face the facts? Continue reading →