Sage advice

       One of life's newest pastimes or social duties is scrolling through FaceBook posts.  It is always an interesting snippet of life, frustration, joy and family and faith. Sometimes, all rolled into one!  Every so often someone will offer up a quote or advice by some sage person or another. Invariably a path to better living or a call to act on a higher plane. 

        It seems that there are so many people who are disheartened  by organized religions. No longer are religions viewed as the definitive source of sage advice, wisdom and certainly not a guaranteed source of morality. A growing number of people claim to be religious but find so much of organized religion as hypocritical if not down right evil. We need look no further than the Westboro Baptist Church or the heinous acts of the Roman Catholic church or the pseudo Christians supporting the current President of the United States. Those faithful put aside any and all of his barbaric, deceitful and anti-Christian actions as acceptable to their cause.  Yikes! It's no wonder people are strolling out of organized religion.

       I would assure anyone that walking out of church is not the answer. Seeking a church that speaks and acts to the life and values of Jesus or Buddha or Mohamed is a more reasonable course of action. No legitimate religion or sect advocates hate, judgment or self righteous hypocrisy. No legitimate religion makes you deny who God made you to be.

       So what is a person to do, especially when you have been raised in one of these aforementioned blasphemous and errant religions?  Like I said, look around. You do not have to be a self loathing gay person for example by continuing in the Roman church. Their very doctrine labels gay people as "intrinsically disordered". The Anglican or Episcopal church is by far a finer and more accurate representation of what a church and religion of Jesus Christ should be.

       By attending and maintaining attendance at a religious worship you gain some very important things. One is that you do not deny the benefit others get by your own attendance. Do not minimize the value you hold in your journey and witness to faith. No one is perfect but our witness and struggles should be an example for so many others who share similar journeys and similar feelings. Dismissing organized religion cuts us off from valuable resources, structure and  growth. 

         Back to sage advice now, today we receive our it from Sirach.  This could easily be posted on FaceBook to everyone as a good way of living. This is a recipe (however partial), to make us better people and to create a better world. 

        FaceBook might have it's ups and downs but Scripture is rich for all to learn from, no matter what religion we are speaking of.  

    

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 3: 3 - 7, 14 - 17a

Those who honor their father atone for sins,

and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure.

Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children,

and when they pray they will be heard.

Those who respect their father will have long life,

and those who honor their mother obey the Lord;

they will serve their parents as their masters. 

For kindness to a father will not be forgotten,

and will be credited to you against your sins;

in the day of your distress it will be remembered in your favor;

like frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.

Whoever forsakes a father is like a blasphemer,

and whoever angers a mother is cursed by the Lord. 

Humility 

My child, perform your tasks with humility; 

then you will be loved by those whom God accepts.