Creative response to evil

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary inspire action for the contemplative in the mystery of the connection between anger and evil.

"The Sermon on the Mount is a call to resistance. It has always been subversive and counter-cultural. " https://t.co/JGGwL1itAe via @sojourners

— JM Firecloud (@JMFirecloud) February 11, 2018

The Prophet Ezekiel presents an argument against the notion of building up credit for our righteous deeds.

* [18:25] The LORD’s way is not fair: this chapter rejects the idea that punishment is transferred from one generation to the next and emphasizes individual responsibility and accountability.

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus alerts us to the origins of serious sin in the petty conclusions we draw about the other.

* [5:22–26] Reconciliation with an offended brother is urged in the admonition of Mt 5:23–24 and the parable of Mt 5:25–26 (//Lk 12:58–59). The severity of the judge in the parable is a warning of the fate of unrepentant sinners in the coming judgment by God.

Mark Giszczak addresses the text from Ezekiel by asking Is God unfair?.

While we might like to reject God’s justice as “unfair” just like the ancient exiles, Ezekiel reminds us to accept responsibility for our actions, confess our sins, and come to God in humble repentance. He promises, even here in the Old Testament, to forgive our sins and preserve the life of those who turn away from evil and turn toward him. Now that’s preferential treatment!

Steve Scholer remembers his dad’s way of delivering judgement.

Like the litigants in my dad’s courtroom, maybe it is better for us, too, to settle our differences and forgive those we feel have trespassed against us, vs. rolling the dice that the Lord will see it our way on judgement day, and that we were right in not forgiving our neighbor, and our neighbor was wrong.

Don Schwager advises not to be angry, rather be reconciled and do not allow the seed of anger and evil to grow in our heart.

Jesus illustrates his point with the example of the commandment to not kill. Murder first starts in the heart as the seed of forbidden anger that grows within until it springs into words and actions against one's brother or neighbor. This is a selfish anger that broods and is long-lived, that nurses a grudge and keeps wrath warm, and that refuses to die. Anger in the heart as well as anger in speech or action are equally forbidden. The Lord Jesus commands by grace - take away the anger in your heart and there will be no murder.

Friar Jude Winkler observes the wicked forgiven and the virtuous punished as a reminder that we are not earning credits buying our way into heaven. A spiritual reflection that has us go to the widest interpretation of law looking at roots of evil consequences may be an excellent guide for our Christian action.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, offers insights from the late theologian Beatrice Bruteau who addresses What will we do? What does “God want us to” do?

Not a good way of putting the question, because it distances God from the world, but the answer I propose is Be! Be creative, be interactive, be agape, give being, unite, be whole, be in every possible way, be new. The self-creating world is unpredictable. It’s like a musician’s improvisation. . . . But the artwork will always resemble the artist. So the cosmos will somehow be like the Trinity, the vast Person-Community that is Agape, inter-being.

Working creatively to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation of the Earth to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a mutually beneficial manner is an exhortation of Thomas Berry that will help us with anger and evil.

References

(n.d.). Ezekiel 18.21. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/bible/ezekiel/18:21

(n.d.). Matthew 5:3. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/matthew5.htm

(2014, September 26). Is God Unfair? - Catholic Exchange. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from https://catholicexchange.com/god-unfair

(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html

(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/

(2017, December 30). 2018 Daily Meditations - Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved February 23, 2018, from https://cac.org/2018-daily-meditations/