In today’s first reading, Revelation 1: 1-4,; 2: 1-5, John
commends the church of Ephesus for its good works, its labor, its endurance,
its intolerance of wickedness, and its
testing of self-proclaimed apostles. “You have endurance and have suffered for
my name, and you have not grown weary.” But,
then, the people of the church of Ephesus are confronted for having lost their
first love, their initial commitment to Christ. “Repent,” the Lord says to them
through John, “and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you
and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent;” in other words,
you will live in darkness.
What is happening in the U.S. may be that our lamp stands are
being taken away from us and given to others who adhere to truth and justice,
to what is right for everyone, that is, for the rich and the poor, immigrants
and natives, Blacks and Whites, Mexicans and Hispanics, Asians and Africans—all
cultures—as well as heterosexuals and
homosexuals, men and women—all who make up the fabric of the U.S. and of the
world.
Repent,” the Lord says to the church of Ephesus and to us, “and do the works you did at first. He says to the American people, repent and do the works you did at first when you, as members of your civic, ecclesial, familial and religious communities, worked together for the common good, to accomplish agreed-upon goals that made your world a better place for everyone; when you as a nation, as a government crossed party lines and enacted legislation that benefited all peoples. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” In other words, you will live in darkness. Is it possible that we are moving into a very dark period of our history as Americans, a darkness that will effect the whole world?
Repent,” the Lord says to the church of Ephesus and to us, “and do the works you did at first. He says to the American people, repent and do the works you did at first when you, as members of your civic, ecclesial, familial and religious communities, worked together for the common good, to accomplish agreed-upon goals that made your world a better place for everyone; when you as a nation, as a government crossed party lines and enacted legislation that benefited all peoples. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” In other words, you will live in darkness. Is it possible that we are moving into a very dark period of our history as Americans, a darkness that will effect the whole world?
Personally, are you, am I, ready to repent and turn away from our idols—from
anything that blinds us to God’s Holy Will? Am I, are you, ready to turn away from anything that blocks us from doing that which needs to be done to promote justice and peace, that deepens our love for God, self and others and that leads us to repentance of the wrongs we have done? Like Bartimaeus in today's Gospel, Luke 18: 35-43, am I, are you, asking Jesus to remove our blindness that we are able to see Jesus in all that is happening and follow His ways?
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