Row Houses, Philadelphia, PA, Photo by Davidt8
“Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts…This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand…’ ” (1 Sam. 17:45-46).
Like many other older cities, Philadelphia has large areas of poverty, particularly in the north and west. Housing is at a premium in these areas. Row upon row of homes sag with age and disrepair, kindling awaiting the match.
Leaking roofs and broken windows are common. At times, raw sewage spills into occupied homes when pipes collapse, but the city has no funds to replace them, and the landlord declines to do so. Tenants behind on rent bear with unbearable circumstances. Read more…
“Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane”, Stained Glass Panel by Alfred Handel, St. John’s Anglican Church, New South Wales, Australia, Photo by Toby Hudson (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported, GFDL 1.2 or later)
“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done’ ” (Luke 22: 41-42).
Lord Jesus, You knew from the beginning of time what Your obedience to the Father would require, yet gave Yourself over freely to His will. You were without sin, yet chose to bear the sins of the world that the relationship between God and man might be restored.
We cannot comprehend love of such magnitude, Lord. Each of us has spent time in the garden…seeking alternatives that were not to be. Though our pain can never compare to Yours, Lord, we find comfort in the fact that our experiences mirror Your own.
May our obedience mirror Yours, as well.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
A lonely child, Author Rezowan, (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen – a great speaker and profound Christian writer, since passed on to his reward – said of paganism that it created idols out of man’s burning desire to see the gods face to face, to “force” them into this broken world of ours and hold them accountable.
As Christians, we know that man’s desire to see God in the flesh was at last fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ. We know that sin is the result of human action, but that the penalty for sin was paid through God’s action. The difference in viewpoint is crucial.
Jesus, Himself, explained that the righteous will ask at the Final Judgment:
“Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” (Matt. 25: 37-39).
And He will reply, “…inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to Me” (Matt. 25: 40).
This then is the crux: We glorify God by serving others, for God is already here.
That this is a broken world is no indication we have been abandoned to it. Rather, we see His image in the face of every child left home alone by a working single mother. We see Him in the face of an injured laborer, as well as that of an abused woman. We see Him through anguish and tears. We see Him despite fear, embarrassment or shame.
We need no idols. Our God is here, among us, in this fallen world. No stench of sin is great enough to keep Him away. He extends His hand of mercy, as no lesser god could.
May He use us as His instruments.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
First Chapter of a Handwritten Scroll of the Book of Esther with Jad (Pointer), Photo by Chefallen (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
“ ‘For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise…from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?’ ” (Esther 4:14).
This year the Jewish holiday of Purim begins Wednesday evening March 7. For those of you who may not know, Purim celebrates the deliverance of the Jews from destruction in ancient Persia (now northwest Iran, and neighboring areas). That fact is being twisted into a lie on a grand scale. The parallels are all too clear.
According to the Bible, King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) permitted the Jews to defend themselves against the attacks authorized by an earlier mandate that they be wholly annihilated. The Bible records that this defense by the Jews resulted in the deaths of some 75,000 enemy combatants. It was through the intervention of Esther, Xerxes’ courageous Jewish queen, that he relented. The queen’s cousin, Mordecai, had prompted her to act with the words quoted above.
Archaeologic evidence from the era confirms much of the background to the Bible story, including the existence of King Xerxes of whom the Greek historian Herodotus writes. Longstanding tradition places the tomb of Esther and Mordecai in the city of Hamadan.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not pleased by this truth, so is doing his best to eradicate it. Read more…
“ ‘For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’ ” (Mark 8:36).
Any number of disappointing articles have been written about the impact of the Great Recession on lawyers, especially those just beginning their careers. Most of these articles focus exclusively on the financial aspect of lawyering.
Putting aside for the moment that many other areas of the economy have been harder hit than the legal profession, it is understandable that lawyers fearing for their livelihoods would look for reassurance, particularly considering the debt many law students carry when they first graduate. Read more…
Bell Tower, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA, Photo by Mary Ann Reitano (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
“ ‘…He has sent Me…to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound…’ ” (Is. 61: 1).
Philadelphia, this beloved city of ours, has a proud heritage. Not only was it the cradle of American liberty. Philadelphia was, also, an important locus on the Underground Railroad. Johnson family members and prominent abolitionist William Still were all based in the city. Between them, this Quaker family and free black man helped upwards of 800 slaves escape to freedom.
The Underground Railroad was, in fact, the first instance of widespread civil disobedience in the nation. Though estimates vary, the movement is thought to have supplied food, clothing, safe shelter, and transport to some 40,000 – 50,000 men, women, and children in pursuit of liberty.
The urban poor find no consolation in this history, if they are aware of it at all. Read more…
Mitt Romney was widely quoted as saying he was “not concerned about the very poor,” since they already have a safety net. The remark was roundly criticized, but betrayed a view many people hold, i.e. that the poor are somehow lacking in character or initiative.
Contrast that with a statement by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, “Every individual is worth more than the entire universe.”
This is the Christian view of life as sacred.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen. 1: 26-27). Read more…
It is February again, dark and cold. Some forty Catholic schools will be shutting their doors in Philadelphia. Local public schools will be closing their buildings nights and weekends, in an effort to save on costs. As ever, there is waste and scandal in Washington. As ever, there is unrest in the Middle East.
Again, we protest, we plead, we pray. But there are times we grow discouraged, times our efforts seem to make no difference at all.
In February, when hope eludes us and summer feels as distant as the stars, we can have faith that God made even the darkness and the cold, but is not defined by them. We can have faith that summer will return, and the Light of the World endures.
“You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter” (Ps. 74: 17).
Lord God, You appointed the seasons, adorned summer with lush meadows and winter with glistening snow. When all seems dark and cold around us; when the seed lies buried deep in the ground, and spring is a continent away; when we can find no inspiration and no audience, remind us that You are there and in control.
Remind us that You made the seasons, but do not change with them; that the earth and its cares which at times overwhelm us are held securely in the palm of Your hand.
Let the storms rage, and the sun go out. Let the seas roar. We are safe in the arms of our God, safe in the arms of Him who set the borders of all the earth.
Amen
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
The Health and Human Services Dept. has issued a regulation requiring that employers provide health insurance coverage for all forms of birth control approved by the FDA, including the morning after pill. There is a religious exemption, but one so narrow many faith based social service agencies will not qualify.
Roman Catholic Bishop William Murphy of New York called the mandate “a radical incursion on the part of our government into freedom of conscience.”
In times such as these, we must take a stand on matters of conscience. That stand may put us at odds with people for whom we care.
Jesus, Himself, said, “‘I did not come to bring peace but a sword’” (Matt. 10: 34). This is not a reference to violence. Rather, it makes clear we must defend the truth whatever the cost to us.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
The Occupy Wall Street Movement has been with us sufficiently to register on the national consciousness. Many are surprised the Movement has lasted this long.
True, many of the “demands” that have surfaced are impractical to say the least. Campaign finance reform has been repeatedly rejected. Gender discrimination, though it still exists, is already outlawed. Only conspiracy addicts want millions more spent to re-investigate the 9/11 tragedy. Even prosecution of the banks, brokerage houses, and insurance companies whose actions contributed to the Great Recession is in many cases not feasible. Newly drafted laws to penalize greed and self-interest cannot be enforced retroactively.
The Occupy Movement should not, however, be dismissed out of hand. It is reflective of a deep unrest – dissatisfaction on a gut level with the consequences of extreme capitalism. That unrest makes the nation vulnerable to any demagogue who may use the opportunity for his own ends.
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 