Works without faith is dead

[Neo]

I agree with you on the intent, respect, and reverence required Neo. I don't personally call the Bible an artifact.

Ha ha.. no I was speaking of the crosses and statues.

 

[Jaebius]

Pr.Jae your quote -----We've changed the way we interpret the Bible many times over the centuries unsafe

Show me any scripture that has changed in the Bible ---God's word is the same today as it was when God inspired what was to be written ---The Holy Spirit is the only one in my Bible that gives true meaning to scripture according to scripture ------The Words God gave are the same today as they were in the beginning they haven't changed -----

And this is your from your quote ---- Hermeneutics is ever in flux. -----

Hermeneutics was initially applied to the interpretation, or exegesis, of scripture. It emerged as a theory of human understanding in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries through the work ofFriedrich SchleiermacherandWilhelm Dilthey.[6]Modern hermeneutics includes both verbal and nonverbal communication as well assemiotics, presuppositions, and preunderstandings.

your human understanding can change but the Holy Spirit speaks truth and is the teacher of the true meaning to scripture in my Book ---and I follow God and His Book that has never changed ------Human interpretation or understanding will always be changing ----

This is what I believe ---- you can believe what you like -----The Holy Spirit does not keep changing the Interpretation of scripture --we humans do that by trying man made methods in my opinion ---

dependence upon the HOLY SPIRIT: -----Scripture tells us that we are to rely on the Holy Spirit's illumination to gain insights into the meaning and application of Scripture (John 16:12-15, 1 Corinthians 2:9-11). It is the Holy Spirit's work to throw light upon the Word of God so that the believer can assent to the meaning intended and act on it. The Holy Spirit, as the"Spirit of truth"(John 16:13), guides us so that"we may understand what God has freely given us"(1 Corinthians 2:12). This is quite logical: full comprehension of the Word of God is impossible without prayerful dependence on the Spirit of God, for He who inspired the Word (2 Peter 1:21) is also its supreme interpreter.

unsafe - I didn't say that Scripture had changed. What I did say was that the way in which we interpret Scripture has changed - and it has done so many times. Now you suggest that there is only one correct interpretation to Scripture. Can you please identify just which one that is. Is it the literal interpretation? The historical-cultural interpretation? The analogical interpretation? The feminist theology interpretation? The min jung interpretation? I believe only God fully knows the true and full meaning of Scripture. This is because I believe God placed His knowledge into the minds of the Bible's human authors so that they might create the text.

 

[Jaebius]

Ha ha.. no I was speaking of the crosses and statues.

Ah, okay.

 

[unsafe]

Pr.Jae ----your quote -----Now you suggest that there is only one correct interpretation to Scripture.



Show me where I said this statement ---there is only one correct interpretation to Scripture. ---See this is your interpretation of what I wrote ----

What I said was ----the Holy Spirit speaks truth and is the teacher of the true meaning to scripture ----The Holy Spirit does not keep changing the Interpretation of scripture ----

These are my quotes from my post above ----

your human understanding can change but the Holy Spirit speaks truth and is the teacher of the true meaning to scripture in my Book ---and I follow God and His Book that has never changed ------Human interpretation or understanding will always be changing ----

This is what I believe ---- you can believe what you like -----The Holy Spirit does not keep changing the Interpretation of scripture -

Show me any scripture that has changed in the Bible ---God's word is the same today as it was when God inspired what was to be written ---The Holy Spirit is the only one in my Bible that gives true meaning to scripture according to scripture ------The Words God gave are the same today as they were in the beginning they haven't changed -----

your quote -----Can you please identify just which one that is.----here is one ---don't know if this is what your looking for but it worked then and it works the same now----the wisdoms works --understanding works -- knowledge works etc by and through the Holy Spirit

Isaiah 11 (ERV)---telling us that Jesus is coming and telling us how the Holy Spirit will help Him ---so the Holy Spirit is the same for us as it was for Jesus ----it hasn't changed it accomplishes the same thing for all people who accept Christ today as it did in the past


The King of Peace Is Coming ---How many ways can you Spiritually interpreted verse 2 ---and what are they --

11:1 A small tree[a]will begin to grow from the stump of Jesse.[b]That branch will grow from Jesse’s roots.

verse 2 ----And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;


Strong's Concordance

the spirit of wisdom ---an acquaintance with divine things and human duties, joined to a power of discoursing concerning them and of interpreting and applying sacred Scripture---------------------- ,Matthew 13:54;Mark 6:2;Acts 6:10;

read all here http://biblehub.com/greek/4678.htm---Greek word ---4678. Sophia ---Definition:wisdom, insight, skill (human or divine), intelligence.

 

[Luce NDs]

Correct interpretation of scripture is isolated ... in the aboriginal broken man ... who is devoid of knowledge of cautious gathering .. due to religion that teaches common knowledge is corrupt ... to authorities only ... as they are isolated too!

Something to get over like a hump in co-operation ... lack of which cauls ferr heavenly fallout ... irony as cloes to the core of de earth ... other than that 8 mille golden core ... determined by observation of distant polity ... in Light of Gravity ... an unseen force?

Can one learn extravagant things from myth anf metaphor ... know chit ... etude 've the wee things ... don't avoid detailing or denouement ... as thought of emotions unravel!

 

[revjohn]

So if faith is our trust and confidence in the unknown, what are our "works"?

Faith is not necessarily our trust and confidence in the unknown. That would be a blind faith would it not? I believe in something though I know not what it is, what it does nor what it requires. Not too vague is it?

I believe faith requires something to be known in order for trust to be part of that relationship.

Are they in our control, at any level?

If the universe is one of curse and/or reward then yes our works are in control. Good works lead to good rewards and bad works lead to curses.

Of course if works are not in control it wouldn't be unusual for bad works to bring rewards and good works to result in curses.

Or are they predestined, like some church dogmas say?

Works are not predestined. They would be predetermined.

To me, our works can be found in everything we do, in our family life, our social life, our work life, and mostly importantly in our personal lives - if we are not honest with ourselves then what are we?

That is as good as any definition of works. What do those works betray of our beliefs?

I also believe that the focus on our works should be more on the "how" we approach life and not solely on the "what" we do in our lives. Without an intelligent and loving "intent" moving us forward in our works, then the "what" is becomes an empty shell. If we focus more on the "how" then the "what" takes care of itself, i.e. it begins to automatically reflect the divine principles as they are creations that originate from within.

So the good intent is more important than the fact that it paves the road to hell?

By only having faith that God will somehow pick up His divine, and predestined -insert religion here- children while leaving the rest (and presumably most) of humanity to be like discarded seeds scattered to the wind, is to me an absurd way of thinking.

Well that is the works ideology in a nutshell. God dances to our tune. If we do the right things the right way God is obligated to us. In that case predestination and predetermination play no role. We are talking instead about self-destination and self-determination. We make ourselves bigger than God.

Of course there is another ideology possible. And that is the notion that God has chosen us and what is not lacking is a response shaped by our gratitude for God's grace.

This, therefore, is the "goal" of works, to align our little will with the greater Will, the Soul of our soul. By definition this alignment process unites one into all and all into One.

I believe that you have it backwards. Where our works are the deciding factor it isn't so much that our little wills must conform to the greater will it is that our wills must dominate God's will. We are rewarded because God has no choice but to reward the good works we have done.

So hiw do we align our personal wills with that of an unseen Divine Will?

We don't. We shape that unseen will after our own and we attribute divinity to it because we think of ourselves far higher than is warranted.

It's a simple formula

This is quite the tell don't you think. A formula is something we manipulate or manifest. It is all about our will and more to the point, our will over things we deem have no will of their own.

Through such approaches to life we will eventually discover that religions, doctrines and dogmas are not the sole determiners in our salvation. They are rather just the means to the end, like ladders to a roof.

Without a doubt there are those who look upon doctrine and dogmas as secret formulas to get what is wanted. This is a key component to prosperity thinking, the secrets we can use to put God at our bidding.

I'm not convinced that such systems are anything more than wish fulfillment and the only folk who profit from them are the folk who understand how to run a pyramid schemes.

 

[airclean33]

Rev John Posted--
Without a doubt there are those who look upon doctrine and dogmas as secret formulas to get what is wanted. This is a key component to prosperity thinking, the secrets we can use to put God at our bidding.

[/QUOTE]Wow John , this seems a bit harsh. I am sure you did not mean all who pray for GOD"s help in life . Are commanding God to do as He or She asks.Are we not told to do just that. Ask our GOD to help us in all things?
Jhn 14:13 Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son;



.QUOTE-Rev John
I'm not convinced that such systems are anything more than wish fulfillment and the only folk who profit from them are the folk who understand how to run a pyramid schemes.

.[/QUOTE]--You seem to say here that this is no more, than wishful fulfillment. This I don't believe John . After seeing many of prayers to GOD fulfilled and answered . I believe our GOD to be a giving GOD and it is in His Nature, to give to those in need when asked and at times even if not asked. There are always those who will try and use GOD.

 

[revjohn]

Wow John , this seems a bit harsh.

Only when you aren't reading what I wrote and only imagining what I said.

You seem to say here that this is no more, than wishful fulfillment.

Again. Try reading what I have posted instead of imagining what I have said. It is the most profitable way to have a conversation.

I do not believe that I was unclear in what I was addressing.

 

[Neo]

So if faith is our trust and confidence in the unknown, what are our "works"?

Faith is not necessarily our trust and confidence in the unknown. That would be a blind faith would it not? I believe in something though I know not what it is, what it does nor what it requires. Not too vague is it?

I believe faith requires something to be known in order for trust to be part of that relationship.

No, faith is not necessarily just "faith in the unknown". But for many, many people, their spiritual journey started out of such things as fear, ignorance, guilt, desperation, etc. For those then blind faith was indeed their starting point. Blessed are those whose journey has started from direct experience.

Are they in our control, at any level?

If the universe is one of curse and/or reward then yes our works are in control. Good works lead to good rewards and bad works lead to curses.

Of course if works are not in control it wouldn't be unusual for bad works to bring rewards and good works to result in curses.

By curse vs reward I assume you taking about the laws of Karma. These laws are very real in the physical world but also appear to apply to our mental world too. This law was described by Jesus with the words: "as we sow, so do we reap". The laws of Karma can be overridden, however, as is evidenced by the stories of miraculous healings by figures such as the Christ and Sri Krishna.

Or are they predestined, like some church dogmas say?

Works are not predestined. They would be predetermined.

I don't see much difference between these two words John, I think you're talking semantics here.

To me, our works can be found in everything we do, in our family life, our social life, our work life, and mostly importantly in our personal lives - if we are not honest with ourselves then what are we?

That is as good as any definition of works. What do those works betray of our beliefs?

Those works should rather reflect our beliefs and not betray them.

I also believe that the focus on our works should be more on the "how" we approach life and not solely on the "what" we do in our lives. Without an intelligent and loving "intent" moving us forward in our works, then the "what" is becomes an empty shell. If we focus more on the "how" then the "what" takes care of itself, i.e. it begins to automatically reflect the divine principles as they are creations that originate from within.

So the good intent is more important than the fact that it paves the road to hell?

Again, these are word games re the paved road to hell. The definition of intent could be good or bad depending on one's integrity, intelligence and honestly.

By only having faith that God will somehow pick up His divine, and predestined -insert religion here- children while leaving the rest (and presumably most) of humanity to be like discarded seeds scattered to the wind, is to me an absurd way of thinking.

Well that is the works ideology in a nutshell. God dances to our tune. If we do the right things the right way God is obligated to us. In that case predestination and predetermination play no role. We are talking instead about self-destination and self-determination. We make ourselves bigger than God.

Of course there is another ideology possible. And that is the notion that God has chosen us and what is not lacking is a response shaped by our gratitude for God's grace.

No, no, no.. it is up to us to dance with the tune of the Universe, and not against it or by creating that tune. And we cannot make ourselves bigger than God, but we can only become at-one with God. There is a huge difference.

Imagine a deep pool of water on the top of a mountain. By stilling our desires, our thoughts and our actions we still the waters of our Being and we begin to reflect the Universe above us. We become "at one" and vibrationally "synchronized", thus allowing the Universe to work through us. In this way we sacrifice our lower needs for the greater to work through us. This is the law of Service.

This type of control is within our means. Are we destined and predetermined to do so with our lives? Yes, I believe so, eventually. Evolution is ever pushing us forward to expand our awareness and become at-one with our surroundings.

I know it all sounds very new-ageish, but I don't know how else to better describe it.

This, therefore, is the "goal" of works, to align our little will with the greater Will, the Soul of our soul. By definition this alignment process unites one into all and all into One.

I believe that you have it backwards. Where our works are the deciding factor it isn't so much that our little wills must conform to the greater will it is that our wills must dominate God's will. We are rewarded because God has no choice but to reward the good works we have done.

When Christ said "Thy will Father, not mine", I don't think He was trying to "dominate" God's will.

So how do we align our personal wills with that of an unseen Divine Will?

We don't. We shape that unseen will after our own and we attribute divinity to it because we think of ourselves far higher than is warranted.

It's a simple formula

This is quite the tell don't you think. A formula is something we manipulate or manifest. It is all about our will and more to the point, our will over things we deem have no will of their own.

The simple formula I spoke of is to "perfect" the vehicles given to us, i.e. our body, mind and spirit. And we do so by watching, and to some degree, by controlling our actions, our thoughts and our speech. These are simple things that all of us can do, regardless of our religion or non-religion.

Through such approaches to life we will eventually discover that religions, doctrines and dogmas are not the sole determiners in our salvation. They are rather just the means to the end, like ladders to a roof.

Without a doubt there are those who look upon doctrine and dogmas as secret formulas to get what is wanted. This is a key component to prosperity thinking, the secrets we can use to put God at our bidding.

I'm not convinced that such systems are anything more than wish fulfillment and the only folk who profit from them are the folk who understand how to run a pyramid schemes.

Any system that puts the lower self ahead of the greater Self, the Christ Consciousness within is in my opinion destined to fail.

 

[airclean33]

Hi Neo---This is your post.
Any system that puts the lower self ahead of the greater Self, the Christ Consciousness within is in my opinion destined to fail.


.QUOTE--Airclean
Perhaps this may help you understand The born again walk.

Serander All.Then Self becomes one with Jesus

 

[unsafe]

airclean33 ---Great Video ---love it ---thanks for posting it ----

your quote ----Serander All.Then Self becomes one with Jesus------

Amen Brother

 

[Jaebius]

airclean33 ---Great Video ---love it ---thanks for posting it ----

your quote ----Serander All.Then Self becomes one with Jesus------

Amen Brother

Justification Is a gift from God - and comes from God Himself. It Is So Much Greater than a voluntary giving of the self.

 

[blackbelt1961]

Hi Neo---This is your post.
Any system that puts the lower self ahead of the greater Self, the Christ Consciousness within is in my opinion destined to fail.


.QUOTE--Airclean
Perhaps this may help you understand The born again walk.

Serander All.Then Self becomes one with Jesus

Amen Aircleen ,

The vision and understanding of Christ on the Cross, helps us daily surrender our ego as Jesus surrendered His Life for us

 

[blackbelt1961]

Neo said,,,,,


Any system that puts the lower self ahead of the greater Self, the Christ Consciousness within is in my opinion destined to fail.

here is the great Lie Neo , continued into new age , this lie sings to mans soul

Genises 3:5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.


then Jesus said ,,,,,,
those who have ears to hear , let them hear

 

[Jaebius]

Amen Aircleen ,

The vision and understanding of Christ on the Cross, helps us daily surrender our ego as Jesus surrendered His Life for us

What's important blackbelt is God's continually gifting us of His grace. We need to be giving Him all the credit, holding back none of it for ourselves as if we do anything meritorious.

 

[blackbelt1961]

What's important blackbelt is God's continually gifting us of His grace. We need to be giving Him all the credit, holding back none of it for ourselves as if we do anything meritorious.

I agree , but if it wasn't for this dam ego that keeps fighting for 1st place , nobody is immune from it

 

[unsafe]

This is my view on justification and surrender -----

Justification is being in right standing with God ---in order to be justified you have to have accepted Christ ----and you are so right it is a free gift after being Born Again ------


KJV Dictionary Definition: justification

justification ----In theology, remission of sin and absolution from guilt and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ.

1. to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
   http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1344&t=KJV

Surrender is the first step to becoming a born again person in my opinion and takes work on our part ------God is always tugging on us to come to Him we have to surrender to that calling ---- we can surrender to acceptance or not -----most people accept under a crisis situation in my experience ----I do not believe like some that God chooses certain people to be saved ---I believe He chooses certain people to do certain Works for His Glory but I personally believe all can be saved if they want to be ------

Surrender
The first step (the root) is surrender. To surrender means to relinquish possession or control to another, to submit to the power, authority, and control of another.

self.
To acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to surrender to Him. The word surrender implies a giving up after resistance to the power of another, and, in this case, includes accepting the superiority of someone else. It is not accepting defeat, per se, as there is no loss of life or property. To surrender means the end of the fight, and there is no more argument. It is the solid realization that His way is a better way.

After becoming Born Again -----the surrender never stops ---if we want to mature in our walk and become Christ like -----

I found this it is a good read for anyone interested ---

"ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER"

read here ----http://www.sermons2liveby.com/Sermons/AllToJesusISurrender-1270.pdf

Just my view on this

 

[Jaebius]

This is my view on justification and surrender -----

Justification is being in right standing with God ---in order to be justified you have to have accepted Christ ----and you are so right it is a free gift after being Born Again ------

Who are you speaking to here unsafe? If it's me as I think it might be, did I say that one has to first "accept Christ"? I believe that God normatively gives the gifts of faith and justification in the same timeless event (of course to us it seems like it takes place in the realm of time).

KJV Dictionary Definition: justification

justification ----In theology, remission of sin and absolution from guilt and punishment; or an act of free grace by which God pardons the sinner and accepts him as righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ.

1. to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
   http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1344&t=KJV

Yes, that sounds correct.

Surrender

is the first step to becoming a born again person in my opinion and takes work on our part ------God is always tugging on us to come to Him we have to surrender to that calling ---- we can surrender to acceptance or not -----most people accept under a crisis situation in my experience ----I do not believe like some that God chooses certain people to be saved ---I believe He chooses certain people to do certain Works for His Glory but I personally believe all can be saved if they want to be ------

Okay, I accept that's your opinion. What is your opinion based on unsafe? How can people choose to surrender when they are born in original sin, with their will imprisoned to sin? I agree that all people can be saved if they want to be - however, the thing is, as we are each and all born out of fellowship with God - who wants to?

Surrender

The first step (the root) is surrender. To surrender means to relinquish possession or control to another, to submit to the power, authority, and control of another....

What about those who cannot surrender unsafe? What about little babies? What about people who lack the ability to understand the concept of surrendering? Is there no chance for justification for them in your belief system?

....After becoming Born Again -----the surrender never stops ---if we want to mature in our walk and become Christ like -----

I would rather say that after He justifies us, God does not stop working on us. Rather, He continues to gift us with His grace as we keep seeking it. In other words unsafe, God is due all the credit for whatever sanctification occurs.

 

[revjohn]

But for many, many people, their spiritual journey started out of such things as fear, ignorance, guilt, desperation, etc. For those then blind faith was indeed their starting point. Blessed are those whose journey has started from direct experience.

I respectfully disagree. Fear is something it is not nothing. The grounds for fear may be overblown it nonetheless represents a direct experience with something. Ignorance, guilt and despair are also things and may be experienced directly.

By curse vs reward I assume you taking about the laws of Karma.

Not specifically. The prosperity gospel operates under the same mechanical view. Pray this prayer and attain salvation. Believe this belief or you will not be saved. Accept this, reject that, whenever we posit a direct cause and effect that we must participate in we are advancing works righteousness.

It is slightly more immediate than Karma and not typically so repetitive.

These laws are very real in the physical world but also appear to apply to our mental world too. This law was described by Jesus with the words: "as we sow, so do we reap".

Definitely not used salvifically.

The laws of Karma can be overridden, however, as is evidenced by the stories of miraculous healings by figures such as the Christ and Sri Krishna.

I can't speak to Sri Krishna. As far as Christ is concerned the miracles are acts of grace and never something the individual enacts upon the self.

I don't see much difference between these two words John, I think you're talking semantics here.

I'm confident that I'm going deeper than semantics.

Those works should rather reflect our beliefs and not betray them.

I agree. Works and beliefs function best as an integrated whole. Which is truer though? The action we take or the belief we speak?

Again, these are word games re the paved road to hell. The definition of intent could be good or bad depending on one's integrity, intelligence and honestly.

The outcomes of the Residential schools program are not word games. The program did not intend to break anyone, it believed that participation would be best for all. After all one of the chief tenets of the liberalism which gave rise to the residential schools program was the fact that education is all anyone needs. And now despite best intentions look at the destruction that has been wrought. How is that a word game?

No, no, no.. it is up to us to dance with the tune of the Universe, and not against it or by creating that tune. And we cannot make ourselves bigger than God, but we can only become at-one with God. There is a huge difference.

You reject the notion of God as other. If there is no other then we must be God no? Or the goal is less being at one with and more about being the same as.

Imagine a deep pool of water on the top of a mountain. By stilling our desires, our thoughts and our actions we still the waters of our Being and we begin to reflect the Universe above us. We become "at one" and vibrationally "synchronized", thus allowing the Universe to work through us. In this way we sacrifice our lower needs for the greater to work through us. This is the law of Service.

To what end? What does vibrational synchronicity accomplish?

This type of control is within our means. Are we destined and predetermined to do so with our lives? Yes, I believe so, eventually. Evolution is ever pushing us forward to expand our awareness and become at-one with our surroundings.

Predestined and predetermined by whom?

When Christ said "Thy will Father, not mine", I don't think He was trying to "dominate" God's will.

Fair enough. I don't think he was at one with it. I think he submitted, accepted that his death was necessary.

The simple formula I spoke of is to "perfect" the vehicles given to us, i.e. our body, mind and spirit. And we do so by watching, and to some degree, by controlling our actions, our thoughts and our speech. These are simple things that all of us can do, regardless of our religion or non-religion.

I have no issue with self-control and we can reap tremendous rewards from it. Self-control begins and ends with the self. Mastery of myself does not give me mastery over anything other than my self.


Any system that puts the lower self ahead of the greater Self, the Christ Consciousness within is in my opinion destined to fail.[/QUOTE]

 

[GeoFee]

I find it curious that many will make the text speak exclusively in a metaphysical voice, focused on the metaphysical question: "Who is saved and who is not?" This is quite sad when I look at what James has in mind when introducing the relationship of faith and works.

In the verses setting up the question, James is wondering how those who claim to follow in the way of God opened by Jesus through the Holy Spirit can fail to be aware of the broken relationship of the poor and the rich. It should be perfectly clear that the works by which we show our right relationship with God are rooted in a just distribution of the social good. A follower in the way of Christ cannot be an endorser of status quo.

I am content to say with James: "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you by my faith what I do."

Faith without deeds engenders a significant diversion, so that competing theological ideas stand at the centre of attention more than deeds demonstrating solidarity with Jesus of Nazareth. Those deeds are not hard to identify. Disciples of the Baptist ask Jesus for evidence of his divine influence. Jesus responds: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

Those who comprise the gifted membership historically known as the body of Christ are recognized by their dedication to the full inclusion of persons marginalized in general by circumstance and in particular by prevailing structures of exploitation and oppression (whether Egypt, Babylon, Rome or America).

There is a substantial degree of difference between the works of religion and the works of justice. It is those who trust in the works of religion (The Christian majority well adapted to Capitalist Ideology) and neglect the works of justice who are surprised in the day of reckoning:

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. ’They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’​

We occupy a fortuitous historical moment calling for a counting of the cost and a decision for or against the way of God revealed in the order of creation. This order of creation, first articulated by faith, is now verified by reason. These two agree that persistence along the present trajectory will bring us to great sorrow and deep shame.

George