Word to the Wise
Wednesday, February 15, 2017 - Wednesday in the 6th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 8:6-13, 20-22 and Mark 8:22-26]WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 WEDNESDAY IN THE SIXTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME [Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22 and Mark 8:22-26] "Never again will I doom the earth because of man since the desires of man's heart are evil from the start; nor will I ever again strike down all living beings, as I have done." [Genesis] The majestic art of storytelling continues in Genesis. As any child knows (and some adults), one doesn't ask logical questions of a good story. Questions like: If Noah only took two of each animal and he sent out the dove that never came back, what happened to doves? And wouldn't the same question arise with sacrificing some of the animals? And, how did Noah live 601 years? The idea is to clear away the water and get back to life. More importantly, God promises not to try to destroy all living beings again. God seems to decide to live with humans despite their "evil hearts." Tomorrow we will see the sign of God's promise. The mystery of human desires that lead to destruction will remain after Noah, but there is a reminder that will continue throughout the Old Testament and into the New: a faithful remnant is a powerful force for good. That remnant is like a bit of yeast, as Jesus would remind us later, that can leaven a lot of dough. The remnant must live with the mix of good and evil, confident that God will help. AMEN