Why most of us I suspect are looking at Washington and feeling frustrated with all sides for their short-sighted ness, it seems to me we need to be careful.
In today's fist reading the prophet addresses all of us when describes the frustration that I suspect every religious person has felt at one time or another the feeling that those without a moral center seem to be those who get ahead, and the good suffer.
He uses a common word but one about which we don't often reflect, impunity-freedom from the injurious consequences of ones actions. Come on, let's be honest, don't we all want that. Don't we all want the ability to simply say I'm sorry and move on.
Those who scoff at the notions of purgatory or indulgences, act as if Christianity teaches that all you have to do is confess sin, ask forgiveness and it's all over and done with. We want to forget that there is for all humanity temporal punishment due to sin. Even after sin is forgiven, because God is just there are the consequences. If a kid throws a baseball through my window, and ask forgiveness, he still owes me for the repair of the window. If I came I late, and apologized my mother scepter the apology, and still grounded me.
Truth is when we see someone acting in what appears to be impunity part of our anger is really jealousy. How come they get away with it?
The truth is we are all short-sighted. Our god is both a God of mercy and a God of justice. In the end we are all, every single human being is going to be judged for the choices they have made. No one has impunity. Rather than spending our time focused on someone else, including "those people in Washington", we would all do well today to stay focused on our own choices. And if you have forgotten what an indulgence is? Here's the link.
