 | Admin Dec 4 | by Karl Gaspar If we go to Mass today, we will hear the gospel of Mark 13: 33-37 reminding us of Jesus' warning to his disciples then but also addressed to us today: "Be on guard! Be alert!...Clearly there is a warning for all of us Christians in these words of Jesus. I leave it to the priests who will be giving homilies on Sunday to tell us the deep meaning of these words from the biblical perspective. I will not be surprised if there are those who would echo the very same meanings repeated through the centuries by the traditionalist clergy: "Prepare yourself for the coming of the Lord! Repent and sin no more so when the end of the world comes, you will surely go to heaven!" I have no quarrel with this interpretation and it is a warning we Christians need to heed. However, I will attempt to make my own interpretation of these words in the light of what is happening to the planet today (with the worsening impact of climate change) and the geopolitics at play among powerful nations out to dominate over the rest of the globe (that has spawned wars from Ukraine to the Middle East and the dirty little armed conflicts in Myanmar and a number of African nation-states). Have the worsening crises unfolding across the planet and the world been the result of human persons not being watchful? Have we failed to be alert to the signs of the earth's deterioration and the collapse of democracy in many nation-states? Have the political authorities whom we have trusted to make sure there is peace in the world and to protect the environment been sleeping on the job and have we the people failed to make them accountable? Have we left it to the superpower countries and giant corporate firms to be the only ones to make all the decisions that have caused too much damage to the environment and great suffering to tens of millions of the poorest people on earth? | | | |  | You can also reply to this email to leave a comment. | | | | |
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