When he was at table with them, he took the bread. He blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him!(Luke 24:13-35)

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Truth, Justice and the American Way?

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!….
Look, up in the sky!
It's a bird!
It's a plane!
It's Superman!
Yes. It's Superman, strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.

I have been able to recite this introduction to the old Superman TV show since I was 5 years old. The most important words to me were not the abilities that Superman had—as impressive as they were—they were the last 11 words that left the biggest impression on me.

“…fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.” I grew up believing that truth and justice ARE the American way. And the older I get the more I realize it IS a battle to maintain this belief.

Truth and justice are taking a real beating and the American way is quickly becoming blurred, if not a joke, in the eyes of the world.

Truth is marriage between one man and one woman, blessed by God for the purpose of procreation. Justice is not allowing a “Supreme” court to decide the voters don’t really know what they are voting for (even though I still don’t get why we should have to vote on what is obviously God’s plan.)

Truth and justice is allowing everyone the right to life, happiness and peace, even if they haven’t taken their first breath outside of their mother’s womb. Notice the word “life” is first.

Truth and justice is allowing our elderly to age gracefully and with dignity to their NATURAL end.

Truth and justice is doing everything we can to help those who are poor to maintain their dignity—by finding them honest work and honest pay—not enabling them to continue taking advantage of each other or turning to crime to survive.

So when did we, as Americans, forget these truths? Did we forget them or did we simply grow tired of fighting? Battles are tough, I’ll grant you that. But we, as Christians, have the power to take this country back from those who have forgotten Who blesses it if we will just remember to use it…

It’s called prayer. No cry of God’s people will go unanswered. Early in the Bible, God made that clear when He said to Moses in the desert of Midian, "I have heard the cries of my people and have come to rescue them."(Exodus 3) God is not indifferent to human suffering and will comfort those who mourn. This is the intent of the reign of God for which Jesus has come; it is the future for which Christians earnestly hope.



I mourn for my country. We seem to have lost our direction. At the same time, I take heart in knowing that God still holds all those who suffer in the palm of His hand. Comforting those who mourn, alleviating the suffering that leads to anguish are divine and noble works that we are called to as followers of Jesus. What greater work can we do than offer prayers for those who are responsible for the direction of this country, that they wake up and see the Truth for Who HE is??



And since today is the eve of Pentacost Sunday, I think it is proper to ask Jesus, through Mary, to send His Paraclete to us with the gift of strength to continue the battle.




Won’t you join me?

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