Giving and Forgiving

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Francis_of_Assisi http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm Yesterday was the Feast Day of St. Francis. He was born rich but later lived a life of poverty. Today, we hear Jesus during a very tense situation. Jesus had stopped the sacrifices in the temple and the priests were angry with him. The people were astounded and believed him to be a prophet. The basic understanding at the time was that God wants revenge on the bad people. The response the gave Jesus was “He will put those wretches to a miserable death.” Yes, kill those miserable wretches. God is seen from different viewpoints in present day. God can be seen as Great-Grandpa who was something great in his day, but now is he distant, we will come visit him from time to time, but we are in charge now. God is also seen as the murderous monster full of wrath and is going to get us all. This is a very American view made popular in colonial times by Jonathon Edwards in his fire and brimstone sermon, “sinners in the hands of an angry God.” http://www.lgmarshall.org/Reformed/edwards_angry.html From this rises the understanding that we cannot take God seriously unless we are terrified of Him. This response to God works well with our reptilian brains. Then comes St. Francis’ view of God. God is the giver and the forgiver. God is love and God is light. This sounds wimpy to those who see God as vengeful but Jesus shows the true strength of God’s power through healing, raising from the dead. God gives us reconciliation and unity. The temple leaders reaction and response to Jesus was to only kill him. They were envious of him. Today, people go to church to get something for themselves. “It’s all about me” which is directly contrary to Jesus who gives himself to us. But, it always comes back to our culture and what we want, or what “I” want, and this is easily seen with the “I” Phone and “I” pod. God isn’t Great-Grandpa to whom we say thanks see you later. God isn’t a ravenous monster God is Loving, Giving and Forgiving, let us also do the same as Jesus did.