Mt 19:3-12 Marriage And All Things Decaying

Mt 19:3-12  Marriage And All Things Decaying

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Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” 

If you live in Dallas, you know for yourself that the roads in and around the city are a mess.  Recently, I had to drive a friend to the airport (DFW airport) and I was delayed for an hour due to all the construction (or reconstructing) surrounding it. 

While I was waiting, I had this simple reflection:  Nothing in this world stays pristine.  All things tend towards decay.  Roads…no matter how much cement and rebar we use, even our roads and bridges decay. 

I got to thinking about what I had just realized.  I couldn’t think of a single thing in this world that does not decay.  Humans decay, animals decay, plants decay, fruit decays, roads decay, even stones decay!  All things decay. 

Nothing lasts forever.  Not too long ago, I went to the home of an elderly couple.  They had been married for almost 60 years and they wanted me to bless their home of nearly 45 years.  As we went in and out of the house, I noticed something in the middle of the yard.  It was hardly recognizable and almost entirely covered over.  At first it looked like some ancient structure from centuries ago.  Before I could say anything, the elderly gentleman remarked:  “When I first moved into this house, I wanted a place outdoors where the family could eat and relax.  So my sons and I dug for days to remove all the grass, weeds and dirt in this place.  We covered it with plastic, purchased a ton of gravel and sand, and bought over four hundred bricks.  When it was all said and done, we had a beautiful outdoor patio and lush garden.  Now, as you can see, time has taken its course.   Gradually, little by little, the earth has reclaimed it and covered it.” 

The same holds true for more abstract manmade things such as nations, empires, cultures and civilizations.  All civilizations decline, so expect the same from western civilization.  All cultures decline, so expect the same from our neo-pagan culture.  Even all religions decline, so expect the same even from Christianity.  But what makes Christianity different from all other civilizations, cultures, institutions and religions is that it expects to decline, just like her founder, and to rise again, just like her founder.  This is what makes Christianity so different.

When man tries to save a dying institution, he redefines it.  When God tries to save a dying institution, he resurrects it.  Family is a dying institution in America.  So what do Americans do to save it?  We redefine it.  The hardworking student is a dying breed in America.  So how do we save him?  We redefine him.  Marriage is a dying institution in America.  So, what do we do to save it?  We redefine it. 

But when Christ spoke about marriage He didn’t redefine it, He resurrected it.  The Lord elevated a decaying and dying institution by bringing it back to its originality.  He chipped away all human inventions, innovations and redefinitions and brought it back to its essence and beauty.  He stressed the forgotten fact that marriage was between one man and one woman.  This went against the Jewish custom and tradition of a man having more than one wife.  Then, he moved on to declare that divorce was unacceptable (unless the marriage was unlawful; and in that case, it would not be a marriage at all).  That’s it.  Pure and simple.  Beautiful and remarkable.

Some would argue that Jesus made marriage less appealing by making it more restricting.  But I would argue that He didn’t make it less appealing; instead, the Lord made it more meaningful and beautiful.  He did not place an undue burden on spouses; he placed an overdue burden on divorce.  He gave women the equality that not a single modern day feminist ever gave them. Instead of demanding that women have the same right to divorce as men, he gave women equality with men by demanding that men not divorce their wives but be faithful to their wives; just as He is to His bride, the Church. 

Christ declared marriage what it truly is:  a symbol of the covenant between God and his people.  Marriage comes from God’s covenant, like our “father” comes from our Heavenly Father.  We did not give God his name; He gave man His name.

Some things decay simply because we allow them to.  Marriage should never decay (or require redefining) because marriage comes from God, and God is love and love never fails.  Unfortunately, we tend to take the easy way out of an institution’s problem by taking the core out of the institution.  We tend to listen more to what people have to say rather than what God has to say.

Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but, as it truly is, the word of God. 

Jn 12:24-26 Equality and Christianity

Jn 12:24-26  Equality and Christianity

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be.”

Is God asking a man or woman to lose their humanity by accepting Christianity?  Is a man or woman supposed to hate who they are?  Does a man lose his masculinity by becoming a lamb?  Does a woman lose all that she has worked so hard to gain by becoming a handmaid of the Lord? 

Scripture tells us, though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to but emptied himself, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (cf. Phil 2:6-8).  “He became poor so that we could be rich” (2Cor 8:9).

Christ gave up everything, EVERYTHING…except His love.  And by keeping His love, he kept his identity. 

 Equality now!  Equality forever!  Here is the battle hymn of our new republic.  But what exactly does it mean?   Does equality mean losing one’s identity, or masculinity, or femininity?

I have always loved watching our school kids play sports, any sport:  basketball, soccer, football, softball, volleyball, etc… They know I am their biggest fan.  If I can make it to a girls or boys game, then I will be there.  If I need to adjust my schedule to be there, then I will adjust it.  I love watching our kids compete and I have been very proud of the way they conduct themselves on and off the field. 

So don't be shocked for what I am about to write. 

This year, the Olympics coincided with part of my vacation and I had the pleasure of watching some incredible matches on TV.  The latest thriller was the woman’s soccer game for gold.  I thoroughly enjoyed their victory even though I was somewhat disgusted by their performance.  Why?  Let me explain.

There has been a lot of talk about women athletes during these competitions; specifically, how they have achieved equality with men.  But was the goal of women athletes to act more like men or to have the same opportunity as men?  If it was to be more like men, then I am afraid they succeeded.  If it was to have the same opportunity as men, then they capitulated and settled for more equality and less quality.  If I were to provide an analogy, it would be similar to that of Adam giving the apple to Eve and Eve saying, “Now we are equal”.   It may be a victory in equality, but it is definitely a tragedy in quality.

Women have always been fierce competitors:  they never give up; they never give in.  They fight till the end.  They fight till they win.  They didn’t have to learn that from any man! They had it in them since the fall of man.

So while I was watching the woman’s soccer game, I wasn’t surprised or disappointed at all in the fierce competition.  I loved it!  But what surprised me and disappointed me was how certain players imitated certain male idiosyncrasies.  Let me be specific.  While I was watching the game, I saw some players spit on the field, just like men; lift their shirts up, to wipe their brow, just like men (thank God they wore a bra unlike men); and “act” injured just like men.  Then, it dawned on me how their shorts and jerseys were designed just like for men. 

I have seen girls play soccer for years.  But I was shocked to see how many female soccer players behaved just like male soccer players on the field.  In my humble opinion, they missed a great opportunity to teach men a few new tricks…like manners, sportsmanship, performance and athleticism.  During the gold medal game, I even say a few athletes shoot snot out of their nose, just like the men do.

Why do woman consider it an honor to be compared to men? Doesn't that fall right into their hands?  When will she ever be free to be herself?  Why will she consider you a friend if you tell her she played like a man, and be insulted if you told her she played like a woman?  How funny!  And we consider this to be equality?  That’s not equality; that’s surrendering!  It’s a loss of identity!  It’s a loss of uniqueness! 

Maybe the problem began when certain feminists insisted on measuring themselves against men; in what they do; in what they have; in how they live their lives.  Success for them has always been dependent on the male figure.  Because of this (and in an ironic twist), men continue to hold the key to their success. 

Women’s soccer in the Olympics is not old; it became an official Olympic sport just a few years ago.  Again, in my opinion, women athletes missed an incredible opportunity to get out from under the shadow of men.  They could have designed their own uniforms, created their own code of conduct, and recreated an incredible sport that would inspire even more young girls to join and not be concerned about losing their feminine identity and genius.  I know the same would be true for male sports and athletes.

The beauty of Christianity, unlike anything in the world, does not insist on the extermination of the individual, male or female; nor does it elevate one above the other.  What it does is purify and combine one with the other to create an image and likeness of God's heart and love. 

To be a Christian does not mean to live in paradise, it means to live in paradox.  It means making yourself great by making yourself small.  It means the rich man needs the example of the poor woman (with the two small coins), in order to make it into heaven.  It means God needed to serve man so that man could serve God and neighbor.  The Son of God came into the world not to be served but to serve:  male and female he served.  By His life and sacrifice He tipped the scale and brought balance (equality) into the world, not in pay, nor in titles, but in what matters most:  dignity and salvation. 

By making us all one (equal) in Him, the Lord does not strip us of ourselves (of our individuality, personality or even gender) but from our sins, and kept us true to our identity.

Mk 9:2-10 The Goal of Transformation

Mk 9:2-10  The Goal of Transformation

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Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.

The Apostles received, in the Lord’s transfiguration, a sneak preview of who Christ is and always will be:  the Son of God.  We too can expect something similar to this when we finally are who we were always meant to be:  an image and likeness of God.

We go to great lengths and take great care of our physical well being.  But like it or not, our physical well being is well connected to our spiritual well being.  A life of sin takes a heavy toll on the human body as much as a life of grace lifts the burdens off of many.   It is time we work on both. 

Most medical doctors do not think like social engineers.   They don’t tempt us, every time we go into their office, to add two additional arms or legs.  Why not?  After all, wouldn’t four hands be better than two?  Wouldn’t four arms make us more efficient?  I think so.  Think about it mom, imagine all the things you could juggle if you had four arms and four hands!  That’s twenty fingers!!!  No, most medical doctors will not go inside the human body unless it is absolutely necessary.  They won’t break a limb to make it a stronger limb.  They won’t replace a normal limb with a bionic limb unless it is absolutely necessary.  They won’t change a thing, unless it is killing the patient.

Thank God many medical doctors do not think like social engineers.  Most medical doctors tend to agree that the original design may not be the best design, or even the most efficient design, but it is the most authentic design; the one that best identifies with who we are and what we need.

But social engineers do not think like that.  They think they can do better.  They think children living with one mother and one father is old school or “the old normal”.  Now NBC is helping to spear head a new concept through a television series entitled, “The New Normal”.  Starting this Fall, we will be told by actors and actresses, in well rehearsed scripts, of what “The New Normal” looks like, lives and feels like.  I won’t go into all the details.  But I can tell you it is absolutely fictional. 

I love how the media works overtime and in overdrive to normalize dysfunction.  We first get a glimpse of it through TV, through actors and through scripts.  Most scripts tend to idealize the sick dreams of their sick creators.  Most sick directors tend to make certain sick characters appear healthy in their life choices and styles.  This type of social engineering reminds me of the sad disadvantage most of our students face when they leave our politically correct and lame schools.  They are shocked beyond consolation when their boss (teacher) tells them for the first time in their life that their work was late (tardy); that it was trash (not “their best effort”), that their presentation was pathetic (no participation certificate given this time), and that they will no longer be with the company (that they didn’t get a free pass to the next grade). 

The New Normal may appear normal on TV, but in real life, it will have devastating consequences on children and American society.  If we thought our schools were already collapsing, our children were already suffering and our marriages were already failing…wait and see what the social engineers will give to us next.         

The Lord appeared transfigured before His men.  He did not appear better than before; he did not appear more improved than before; He appeared authentically.

Before we try something new, let’s work in a state of grace.  Before we try replacing what we broke, let’s fix what we broke.  Before we do anything new, let’s fix the problem.  The goal in life is not to be better than before, stronger than before or even more efficient than before.  The goal in life is to be authentic:  an image and likeness of our Creator.

Mt 13:54-58 Faith in Jesus

Mt 13:54-58  Faith in Jesus

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Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue…and they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.”  And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith.

Faith is sometimes confused as believing in what cannot be seen or heard or known.  But that’s not quite right.  Faith is actually based on solid facts. 

Faith in God means to acknowledge the Lord’s presence.    

He did not work many mighty deeds there.  When I was a child, I used to think like a child and act like a child.  If I was interested in showing someone how intelligent I was, I would dazzle them with all the things I knew.  If I wanted to impress my friends, I would do some crazy things.  If I wanted to make an impression on some girl, I would act like someone other than myself.  Today, if I want to impress my friends at how intelligent I am, then I will listen to them.  If I want to impress my friends then I will do something for them.  If I want to make an impression on some girl, then I will treat them like my own daughter.

It all came to a shock to me at how different the Lord was from me.  It was a shock to me when I read this passage for the first time in CCD class and noticed that the Lord did nothing, absolutely nothing, to impress his childhood friends and neighbors.  Why?  Didn’t he want to increase their faith?  Didn’t he have the best opportunity in the world to dazzle them, impress them and have them marvel at Him?  Why does Scripture state, “He did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith”?  

Come on God!  That’s not fair!  If you want me to believe in you then show yourself to me!  Do something God-like!  Amazing!  Something...I don’t know…incredible?  Don’t just stand there and stare at me with those big brown eyes!  Show me who you are.  Otherwise, I will just think that you are someone below me or just like me. 
Jesus came to his native place.  I have a feeling that many of our Olympians, when they return, will be greeted in a very special way by the President of the United States, but not necessarily by those closest to them.  Why?  For a variety of reasons:  we tend to marginalize those we know; we take people, like life and things, for granted; we have a hard time acknowledging someone else’s accomplishments; we have a hard time being objective.

Is he not the carpenter’s son?  Families that are very religious tend to have the most rebellious children.  Why?  Because their kids equate their faith in God with the faith of their parents.  If they are upset with mom and dad, chances are they will be upset with God and His Church; if they think their life sucks, then they will think the world sucks.  If they think that the world is a disaster, chances are it’s because their life is a disaster.  If they think you have a problem, it usually means they have a problem.  Faith is a response to the Lord’s invitation to see things as they really are, and not as we have made them to be.

It’s not intellectual prowess that tends to separate us from God.  It’s pure and simple pride that does it for us.  All of us prefer to be God rather than to acknowledge a God.  All of us tend to prefer death rather than admit our mistakes.  “Is he not the carpenter’s son?”  No.  He’s not.  And this one mistake of ours will cost us His head.  This one simple mistake, will lead to all future mistakes; any honest enquiry, open investigation and any objective conclusions.    

The people of Nazareth could not imagine the Messiah as poor, as one like them, as one similar to them in all things except sin.  After all, if I am a sinner, then who does he think he is?  And that one assumption was enough to settle the matter.

Faith means to acknowledge the Lord’s presence.  To acknowledge Him requires honesty, humility and openness.  If not, then we are more than capable of making some horrible conclusions based on erroneous, prideful and closed assumptions.  “They were astonished at him”…and yet, they refused to acknowledge him.

Faith is not blind.  Faith is not some thoughtless, mindless exercise.  Faith is not something we cross our fingers to.  Rather, faith is an intellectual act; it is how man responds to God’s presence.  Make no assumptions about it, It is not the emptiness or darkness that makes me search for someone out there; it is the light of the world that gives me faith; that allows me to acknowledge Him.  It is not the door that makes me wonder; it is the knock on the door that gives me faith in someone out there; it is opening the door that gives me knowledge of who is standing before me.      

If I tend to think my life is boring, then it’s not because God is boring.  It’s because I am acting like an animal.  When animals sniff around and find nothing, they sleep.  When humans look around and find nothing, they reflect.  Take some time to reflect.  This is something that only humans can do.  This is one reason why only human’s can believe!  Ask yourself:  Am I dazzled by the sun?  Am I thrilled every time I see the moon?  Am I impressed at how incredible 24 hours are in a single day?  Do I still believe that two eyes are better than one?  Then why not three?  Have I come to realize that what I take for granted is not so usual?  Do I understand that it is all by design and not by survival.  Can I separate the objective from the subjective?  Can I separate my past from my future?  Can I acknowledge God without the hindrance of others?  Can I separate my life from Christ’s life?  Try it.

Mt 11:25-27 Childlike Wonder

Mt 11:25-27  Childlike Wonder

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At that time Jesus exclaimed:  “I give praise to you, Father, of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” 

Peter Keller was bored.  That’s the reason he gave for killing his wife, his child, and eventually himself.  He was bored…with life.      

But life is not boring; people are boring, and people, like Peter Keller, are boring when they don’t know how to live.  Peter Keller was selfish and selfish people are boring.  Mother Teresa was giving and giving people are surprising.  When you give, you create.  That never gets boring.  When you are selfish, you destroy.  That gets boring, and fast.

What should be our attitude towards life?  If I only had one word to sum it all up, the word would be:  wonder.

Every day we should have the facial expression of a dead person.  Yes, every day we should keep our eyes, as well as our mouths, wide open.  After all, the happiest people are surprised people, and surprised people imitate dead people. They don’t look like they have seen a ghost.  They look like they have seen God.  And hopefully, most dead people see God.

We consider it the stuff of science that an apple tree should grow an apple, and consider it the stuff of fairy tales that an apple tree would grow a peach.  But why?  Why is one not as much of a fairy-tale as the other?  Don’t both deserve our sense of wonder?

Is it so obvious that we should share a sun with other planets, but have just one moon to ourselves, and one planet to call home?  Just because we can explain what has already happened does not mean it had to happen.  Instead of complaining that the days are boring because they begin and end the same way, we should shout “Bravo!” and ask for an encore as appreciative audience does in the opera house.  We should be childlike and say “Do it again!” at the slightest hint of pleasure and the simplest sense of wonder.

A year ago I heard a talk given by a Catholic author named Joseph Pearce.  He mentioned how he was shocked that his favorite rock band, The Rolling Stones, would sing, “I can’t get no satisfaction.”  Wait a minute!  Didn’t these guys have everything the world could offer them?  Didn’t they have tons of money; tons of drugs; and tons of women at their disposal?  Why would they be singing “I can’t get no satisfaction”??? 

Whoa, something is wrong here!  No.  Nothing is wrong.  It is the truth.  Christ is the only one that satisfies the mind, heart, body and soul.  It’s time we give him a chance. 

I worry about our kids.  They are growing up way too fast.  They are losing their childlike heart at an alarming age and rate.  They have become rational and logical far too early in life.  Someone has been poisoning them.  I’m not exaggerating.  I will never forget going to a High School production of Peter Pan.  I was sitting next to a child.  When Peter Pan suddenly appeared, flying across the stage, I looked at the child and said, “Isn’t it amazing how Peter Pan is flying in the air?”  The child looked at me and said, “It’s the wires.”  I looked at him and said, “What?  What did you say?”  Again, he repeated himself, “It’s the wires.”  I told him, “The wires?  It’s not the wires, it’s the fairy dust!”  He shook his head in disagreement and stared at me as if I were some idiot and said, “I wasn’t born yesterday.  It’s not the fairy dust.  It’s the wires.”  I told him he was wrong.  When he nudged at his mother to get involved in the debate, she waved both hands at me as if to tell me, “This is your problem.”  He asked for an explanation.   I gave it to him.  I told him, “When Peter Pan wants to fly, he throws the fairy dust.  If he doesn’t throw the fairy dust, he doesn’t fly.  It’s the dust that gives the guys in the back the signal to pull the strings and help Peter Pan fly.  Get it!!!  It’s the fairy dust that makes him fly.  Don’t make me repeat myself again!” 

How sad it is when a child loses his sense of wonder.  How sad it is when an adult can't figure out that there is Someone hidden pulling all the strings.

Mt 7:6-14 Faith: A Narrow Gate

Mt 7:6-14  Faith:  A Narrow Gate

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Jesus said to his disciples:  “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction…How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life.  And those who find it are few.” 

“You are so narrow-minded!” said the child to his teacher.    “Yes”, replied the teacher, “2+2=4.  Sorry.  But this truth can open up the entire Universe to our understanding.” 

Considering how wild, chaotic, cold, deadly and dark is the Universe that surrounds us; I find it amazing how one tiny place could be so ordered, calm, warm, comfortable and cozy.  It seems as though our solar system successfully passed through the narrow gate and constricted road that led to life. 

Of all the things that could have gone wrong, it is amazing how the earth went so right.  The earth avoided the wide and open gate of destruction and passed through the narrow gate and constricted road to a living organism.

Considering all the tyrannical and suppressing forces in play in evolution, it is striking just how kind it was to man.  He was given the freedom to break from instinct.  He was given a desire to paint, to build, to discover, to speak, to laugh, to sing, to cook and to love.  It seems as though man successfully avoided the wide open gate of the animal kingdom and passed through the narrow one to a king’s Kingdom.

When I consider how similar we all are in our biology; and how dependent we are to our chemistry, I find it remarkable at how unique I can be, for I have seen that I can successfully avoid being what I was conditioned or labeled to be by simply aiming for a smaller gate than the one that was left for me. 

I can travel down the less traveled road, and take aim at a much higher goal, if I take what is inside of me and wrap it around the one that went ahead of me. 

How do I do this?  How can I enter through the narrowest of gates?  How can I squeeze through the eye of a needle?  How can a grown man be born again? 

Simple:  Faith in Jesus Christ.  My faith is not based on feelings.  My faith is based on facts.  Those who wish to be great must pass through the narrow gate of humility.  I asked the Lord to humble me and he is trying.  I gave Him permission to silence me and he did.  He invited me to be simple and I accepted his invitation.  The Lord asked me to re-evaluate my goals in life and I did; I found my life.  He encouraged me to look beyond my sight; to love beyond myself; to live outside of my skin.  I will try and continue to try so help me God. 

Our desire to love and be loved has not changed.  But our way of going about it has.  It seems all the more elusive than ever before.  I find that when people experiment with what is new, thrive on what is thrilling, and seek what is appealing, they are really on an adventure to find meaning, happiness and love in their life.  I find it so tragic that after so many centuries and so many attempts, so few ever encounter what they went out in search of.  Their temptation is to think it is a lost cause.  But the road of deception is wide and open. 

Of all the choices the Lord could have made; of all the things he could have said; of all the things he could have been, He made the singular choice to avoid the wide and easy road to honors and privileges and instead passed through His Father's constricted road that leads to everlasting life. 

The probability of finding life on another planet is as remote as encountering an alien on earth.  The problem is not with the Universe.  The problem is not with God.  The problem is with us.  We may not be ready for such an arrival.

The probability of finding a canonizable Saint on earth is as remote as encountering the Lord on earth.  The problem is not with God.  The problem is with us.   We are sinners.  We think as grand and mistaken as men think and not as narrow and small as God thinks.  If only we had faith the size of a mustard seed! 

The problem is with us.  Not all of us are ready to do what it takes to be a Saint.  Not all of us may be ready to be a Saint.  We know that by the way we treated the Lord upon His arrival. 

Mk 12:1-12 Rejected But Never Lost

Mk 12:1-12  Rejected But Never Lost

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Jesus said, “Have you not read this Scripture passage:  ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?’”

Have you not read this Scripture passage? How long has it been since you read this Scripture passage?  Actually, how long has it been since you read Sacred Scripture? 

The stone the builders rejected.  I have no idea how any Christian in their right mind could justify any law that goes against God’s stone; that is, the stone containing the Ten Commandments; or the Rock that is His Church.  How does a Christian reconcile abortion, euthanasia, and gay-marriage with Scripture or the Rock?  Is any civil law above God’s law?

Let’s say for a moment that today’s parable, of the man who planted a vineyard and leased it to some tenant farmers, was actually a powerful literary masterpiece describing God’s world leased to man and what we have done with it.  I don’t think I’m stretching it if I were to say  that all Scripture is a carefully worded masterpiece of a contract or living arrangement between God, His world and us.    

For example, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; make and female he created them.” (Gen. 1:26-27).  We know from Scripture (and from science), that we came on to the world scene last, and even though we were last, we know, “the last shall be first.”  Hence, we were given dominion over the whole world and all that belongs to it.  Of course, like good tenants, we are obliged to respect not only God’s property rights, and all His creatures, but also His laws.  After all, it's His Creation.  It's His baby!  He built it.  He designed the rules:  the physics rules, biology rules, chemistry rules, etc… He holds the patents; we lease them.  Could God not have created all humans male? or female?  Why both?  Please don’t tell me because we needed someone to love.  That’s ridiculous.  Why both then?  Was it to make things clearer, a little more obvious?  That Human love is an image of God’s love because it creates life?

A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower.  Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.  Recently, we’ve been working at a feverish pace to re-word or re-write our entire contract with God.  There’s no problem with this unless you don’t involve in the negotiations the Rightful Owner or a major signer of the contract.  I guess we could prepare something if we would only respect His Word.  We all know what He demands.  He chiseled a crucial piece of it in stone long ago.  He gave us His Son and His closest advisors to make it much clearer and to set the record straight.  And yet, don't you find it quite criminal (to say the least) to take away His property rights, His negotiating powers, His “God-given” rights just because He’s currently away? He's actually never away.  We just sent Him away!

In you, my God, I place my trust.  It shouldn't be hard to place your trust only in God.  Just take a look around you and see what we’ve become.  We are a bunch of spoiled rotten stinking little brats who, by definition, want more for themselves and less for others.  Just take a look at this morning’s news.  We are building three warships that cost 3 billion dollars a pop.  At the same time, we say we need birth control to stop the spread of unwanted children.  So, let me get this straight, do we want to spend 9 billion dollars on three ships rather than on unwanted children?  I know what you are saying, “That’s the way it is.”  No!  The real explanation is:  “That’s the way we want it.” Yep, spoiled rotten.  We have become the biggest hypocrites in the world.  In New York City, the spoiled rotten billionaire mayor wants to make supersized drinks illegal while at the same time make a little bit of marijuana legal for everybody.   How helpful of him!  Maybe that's how he'll get elected again.  So, he thinks the government needs to limit the choices we can make, except when it comes to being Pro-Choice.  Do you see what hypocrites we've become?  Do you see the type of people we've elected?  Does this guy really think we are that gullible?  I guess!  And he’s probably right, but he doesn’t have to be.  Every four years we have an opportunity to vote not only according to our conscience but, most importantly, according to God’s clear and unquestionable Word. 

It’s not hard to see why we should place our trust in God and in God alone.  It’s not hard to see why our ancient’s placed “In God We Trust”.    

Oh God, whose providence never fails in its design, keep from us, we humbly beseech you, all that might harm us and grant all that works for our good.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.