Word to the Wise
Monday, May 2, 2016 - 6th Week of Easter - Mon
[Acts 16:11-15 and John 15:26-16:4a]MONDAY, MAY 2, 2016. ST. ATHANASIUS [bishop and Doctor of the Church] [Acts 16:11-15 and John 15:26-16:4a] "I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God." [John] It is eerie to read these words of Jesus at a time when religious terrorism is so much in the news. To think that killing is an act of worship, whether it be another human or an animal is abhorrent to many of us. We may be both fascinated and horrified by the stories of ancient religious human sacrifice, but it was a fact. Even Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Worship of the emperor in the Roman Empire was part of the complex of reasons that led Pilate to condemn Jesus. The crusades were considered a form of worship. In our day, bombs are being set off in the name of God or airplanes flown into buildings. Faith and violence have an unfortunate attraction that we must always guard against. Jesus has warned us to expect a violent response to his gentle teaching, but to respond with violence will betray that teaching. AMEN