If Jesus is not the Light
all paths are dark.
If he is not the Way
they lead only to darkness.
If he is not the Truth
the signposts are lies.
If he is not the Life
we will not find it.
— — —
My faith has been here.
It’s very simple:
My last dollar
I bet on Him.
dw
Grace and peace to you…
“Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God.”
Vaticana, Libreria Editrice. Catechism of the Catholic Church . United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kindle Edition. Paragraph 1691
The Catholic catechism speaks clearly about politics and social justice. In this election year we need to be reminded of what it says.
Why?
Not because I think it is authoritative and should be followed (I’m not Catholic). It is one voice among many.
But it’s an important voice in a time when large swaths of the church in the US – including Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals – have aligned with a single political party whose policies, words, and deeds are considered ‘right’ or at least ‘acceptable’ in order to achieve a political end.
It’s a voice coming from a long historical perspective and broad geopolitical context. It gives space for the Oscar Romeros and Dorothy Days of this world. It punctures the bubble of the popular ‘Make America Great Again’ political movement. It is much needed in the nano-second we are living in now.
The quote above is how the section starts. It hearkens us back to Jesus, the Light not overcome by darkness, our Head to whom we give our allegiance, the One who spoke the words of the Sermon on the Mount (see the previous post).
His voice is the one we need to hear clearly in this election season and in all seasons. I think the voice of the Catholic Catechism can help us.
Grace and peace to you
dw
O God, deliver us from the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, because the sin of the world is our heart’s desire, our uniform, our derby hat. O Lamb of God, have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us.
Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons, “Air for Two Voices”
Unpopular, this.
Too often too true.
After we do our God thing
(or not)
And get down to the business
Of doing Our thing
God doesn’t have a ticket,
The bouncer at the door explaining
It’s sold out.
Grace and peace to us all…
dw
Photo by dw
Listen to your lives for the sound of him.
Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons, “Delay”
Search even in the dark for the light and the love and the life because they are there also, and we are known each one by name.
How can one hear a whisper
The whisper we each long to hear
I know you and I love you
And I will lead you to Life
If you will follow
How can one hear that whisper
Over the blaring TV screen
The even louder unsocial media
Telling us we are No Good
Unless we show this color
Drive this vehicle
Fly this flag
Wear these shoes
All hollering you are No Good
Unless you spend this extra dollar
Over the subterranean rumble
Signals from family:
You aren’t who we hoped you would be
How can one hear that whisper
Over the substances we use
To kill the pain of being No Good
The loudest voices of all
Telling us, time and time again,
You are No Good
Is there any hearing left
Any ability to discern?
Oh God, have mercy
Whisper loudly
Listen to your lives for the sound of him.
Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons, “Delay”
Search even in the dark for the light and the love and the life because they are there also, and we are known each one by name.
Grace and peace to you…
dw
Photo by dw
Life: that’s what we all hunger for, wait for always,
Frederick Buechner, Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons, “Delay”
whether we keep coming back to places like church to find it or whether we avoid places like church like the plague as the last places on earth to find it:
both delivered in part and derelict in part, immigrants and mongrels all of us.
It’s life as we’ve never really known it but only dreamed it that we wait for.
Life with each other, Life for each other.
Life with the darkness gone.
Jesus, you said
I am the Light of the world
I am the way, the truth, and the life
I came that they might have life abundantly
My joy I give to you
May your words prevail this day
in my life
and in our world
Light shining in the darkness,
the darkness not prevailing
May it be
Grace and peace to you…
dw
Photo by dw
becoming flame 