The Call

Amid all of the violence and demeaning rhetoric that is occurring today it is difficult to distinguish the presence of God.   The events of the past week hit close to home as for me as one of the victims of the San Bernardino attended one of the schools where I taught 16 years ago.  Reflecting on this and the subsequent media fallout and hateful speech that followed had me question our current society. Many say "where is God?" as if God will arrive and put an end to the chaos that confronts us on a daily basis.

Both Baruch and the Gospel of Luke provide a glimpse into this ever present question. During the time which the Book of Baruch was composed the the Hebrews were basically hostages in their own land having endured the sieges of the Chaldeans.  Not much hope existed for the people, but in the last chapter of the prophetic book Baruch a tone of redemption is found.  Take off your robe of morning and misery(5:1), God will show the earth your splendor (5:2) and God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low ... that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God (5:8).  The arrival of John the Baptist in today's Gospel provides additional hope as well. "The rough ways will be made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." (Is 40:4).  Perhaps the call is for us to be the light.  For if God dwells in us we can comfort the lowly, the mourning, the afflicted.  We can be the beacon of hope in a world where it seems desperation and godlessness prevails. We live in a challenging time period much like the early Hebrews under siege from the Chaldeans and the Jews of Jesus's and John's lifetime.  Certainly more violence and vitriol is not the answer.  My Catholic faith is my answer to the upheaval of society. It is up to me take on the words of Baruch and the Gospels and put them into action and I hope and pray that you will also.