How’s your day going? Are you having a good day or have things not gone so well? Are you on top of the world with this bright sunny day (at least where I am is sunny) or are you in the trenches of defeat knowing that everyone seems to be against you? We all tend to walk somewhere in between these two emotions. It’s easy for us to flip and flop and if we do this too easily and often it can become very unhealthy.
In our culture today, it seems that there are a lot of people that feel persecuted. For some people, it’s easy to get bent out of shape if you don’t agree with everything they think, say, or do. For others, there is a sense of entitlement towards a lifestyle or career and for others, it seems that nothing can bother them or take them off their game. As a society, It seems that no matter where you go, someone, is having trouble with being persecuted and feeling defeated.
Just a few weeks ago, we sat and watched the famous Notre Dame Cathedral burn we think of the momentous tragedy this is. I admit my feelings were a bit conflicted as I thought what a loss of a building but it also makes me think about the church. Some feel that as this building burns they have lost a sense of identity. For others, they are only thinking of what a loss in architecture and art. Ask yourself this, what happens to the church when the church burns down? Does it just end? Is it over for the people of Paris as they will now have no place to worship?
Jesus has told us that we are the church and we must not confuse what fire can do to a building it can never do to the real church. We do lament the burning of a great building and the history that comes along with it but a fire can never burn down the church.
As we live our lives, we will deal with people at home, at work, at play, and everywhere else we go. Let’s try to do good in all we do and know that there will be times when our lives may be on fire. As it can be a tragedy but it will all the more be a blessing when we strive to do what God wants us to do. If you are persecuted for that then you are in great company. Like the Apostle Paul, the 12 Disciples of Jesus, and countless others across the pages of history.
God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Mt 5:10)
ETHOS 4 LIFE 