Modern, holy families

This is my homily for today, the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

War and Peace 2018

The Republicans/Trump Situation in 2018

There is little evidence that Trump and the Republicans are attracting many voters with their efforts on Obamacare and tax reform, and much evidence that Americans are likely not to support Republicans in 2018. There is also little evidence that Republicans are prepared to reject Trump in order to save their own skins.

That all points to one strategy for Trump and Republicans to save themselves before the 2018 election, namely unite a majority of Americans around some new war effort. Trump did gain a lot of support when he bombed Syria; that support came form Democrats as well as Republicans. We also know from history that Americans often unite across party lines to purse a war. And, of course, we have a lot of potential places to engage in war.

World Day of Peace

Eliot, Epiphany and the End of the Year

  T.S. Eliot is a voice in my head at this graced time of the year. That is odd as I am not a fan of Eliot.  I lack the patience to read serious poetry, so I only fall upon it – or it falls on me – by accident.  Today or tomorrow I shall read Murder in the Cathedral again. Over the coming days I will listen – several times – to Eliot himself read  “The Journey of the Magi,” on the  BBC recording on YouTube. That's for the run-up to Epiphany.

 I first met Murder in the Cathedral in a production staged in an Episcopal cathedral (of all places, if you think about it). It covers the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket at the hands of four barons unleashed by his old friend and benefactor, King Henry II. In some ways, Becket’s death parallels the death of another Thomas, More, at the instigation of another Henry, the VIII. But they were 365 years apart, and in Becket’s time church and state both followed the pope. Henry and Becket were each other’s problem. The assassination shocked everyone in the era. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer’s pilgrims are heading for Becket’s shrine.

Trump, Israel, and the Evangelicals

I have a longer post at my blog about Israel, Trump, his Evangelical Christian base, and the belief some of those Evangelicals have in dispensationalism. It's the idea that at the end times, after the rapture, the Jews will all be converted to Christianity and Jesus will return to reign from Jerusalem for 1000 years. This will be familiar to those who have read/watched the Left Behind stuff.

As I watch Trump do things like move the US embassy to Jerusalem in order to placate his Evangelical base, I have to wonder how much of the Evangelical fervor for Jerusalem is based in dispensationalism. Religious history scholar Diana Butler Bass has a recent article about this: For many evangelicals, Jerusalem is about prophecy, not politics.

From under the tree to the landfill

In light of Crystal's recent post on the importance of preserving our environment, this headline from one of our local newscasts yesterday caught my attention:

There's a good chance your holiday returns will end up in a landfill

The number that leaps out from this story is 5 billion - the number of pounds of returned items that end up being thrown away by retailers.

Saving the world

Pope Francis warned in his Christmas message against "environmental decline". Francis has always been an advocate for the environment. Some good Christmas news in this area: A Historic Gift of Pristine Land to Inspire Tech's Elite

Given Trump's antipathy to the environment, it's time we, like David and Laura Dangermond, take steps to preserve it.

He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well

Every day of the year - without exception! - I begin my day of prayer by praying the Invitatory Prayer.  This is the first prayer of the day for anyone who prays the Liturgy of the Hours.