2 September 2012
- Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 –
JustPure
As
I pondered that list of “evil intentions” that defile me, my first reaction was
“but I would never steal from someone, much less consider killing them. It is not in me to be greedy or wicked.” And then I realized that the truth is that,
while I would never do those things to those persons with whom I am in a close,
loving relationship, I do indeed participate in theft and murder every time I
fail to protest our government using tactics like assassination or torture to
protect me from my enemies. I become a
model of avarice and wickedness every time I insist on paying the lowest prices
for my food and clothing, ignoring the way workers are exploited in the
production of those bargains. If what
this gospel says is true, that purity is about the thoughts and actions/inactions
that come from my heart, it appears that, if I am not to become defiled, then I
must not defile. Since I do not defile
those whom I know and love, I must not
only learn to live in solidarity with those the world has marginalized and
preyed upon in some form or another, but
I also must figure out how to live in close, loving relationships with them as
well – and that includes folks who would prefer to prey upon me.
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