Lenten journey: Crimson red or Wooly white?

      It is a real hoot to listen and watch the politics going on in the United States.  Mentioning no names of course,  the ease with which candidates bear their Christianity like a shield of honor while condemning others and preaching to reject the foreigners if not enslave them in camps.

      I myself reposted a cartoon on facebook, a picture of  Jesus, Mary and Joseph and labelled something like 'the original illegal aliens'.  Another favorite is the picture of the native Americans welcoming the illegal immigrants - the Europeans. at Plymouth Rock. There is a great deal of hypocrisy and self righteousness floating around the USA these days. It would be comical if it were not so sad.

       Perhaps sadder still is that these issues were railed against by both Isaiah and Jesus. How can a follower of Judaism or Christianity say they are followers and do precisely the opposite to which they are called to do. 

       My Dad once noted in a causal conversation that 'we are all hyprocrites'. It seems to be true and I am as guilty as anyone else. But we are called to be better than this. Social justice is a hallmark of both Christianity and Judaism. I am more ignorant of other religions but I feel safe in presuming that most religions of the world call for compassion and welcoming of strangers. 

        The chief crime of Sodom and Gomorrah according to Biblical scholars was their selfishness and inhospitality.  While our sins hopefully are much less, Isaiah speaks of our sins as Crimson Red and that God wishes to make us white as wool.  Sound anything like the  transfiguration? God wishes us all the best, to be pure white and heavenly. Is this not part of why we don white garments when we  celebrate the Sacraments? We are caled to holy and right living.

 

           Let us focus on social activism and social justice. This calendar year with it's presidential election is a good way to exercise our right, duty and religious obligation to focus on God's will and not the will of extremists calling us to cower and hate our fellow humans.