This morning there was a report of a family who had to run to a beach to avoid a small fire — that turned into an interno, engulfed their house, and destroyed a helicopter sent to rescue them. Apparently the fire was deliberately lit.
The paper is full of bad news. An eight year old girl. Ane Leaso, has was found dead after being beaten with pipes by her mother: the case is before a Cairns Court. It has been blamed on post natal depression
Three deaths. Avoidable. Simply evil. And people make excuses. And this is in New Zealand and Australia, which have about as little corruption as anywhere in the world.
10They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. 11Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. 12For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins — you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate.
13Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.
14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
1Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ 5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For many are called, but few are chosen.“
There is an image, an allegory if you will, of the church — the slaves of the king — going out and preaching everywhere from the gutters to the palace, by way of every pub and brothel. All people are loved by God. But not all will come to the feast, and you will need to wear the clothes for the feast.
This is where both the Catholic and Reformed ideas of salvation apparently conflict. The Catholics talk about works.. of faith, of penitence. They see the need to be clothed, and that need exists. The reformed see the slaves going to the brothel to preach. They emphasize that we are completely unworthy, and that is also right. But we miss one of the teachings here. We are to hate evil (and yes, I am aware that the Philokalia teaches this).
There is a place for preaching the law and hellfire in this world. We need to make people aware of what are the consequences of their acts, and then let them happen. We can only rescue with an expectation of change. We know this about alcohol and what we foolishly call the addictions. We know not to let a thief life among us.
But we have to invite those who are doing evil to the feast of God. For they are made in the Image of Christ, and Christ as sent out the invitation. We are doing what he tells us to do. And we also do evil: we are all equally guilty.
But God demands we all wear his garment, of his righteousness, purchased by his sacrifice, and freely given. There is no room for evil, and there is no room for pride. And that is why few are chosen — we are not prepared to humble ourselves and allow for purification (which frequently comes through hardship).
I see that white country people (apart from second-world eastern Europeans and Argies), Japanese (the only First-World democratic Asian country), and Botswanans (the only democratic African country, other than S. Africa), are the only ones who really have confidence in their institutions, while everyone else sadly lacks the same.