Dear Friends,
Our country is becoming more and more of a strange place, and particularly as a parent, it is becoming disheartening. Congress and even the President, have all time low approval ratings, and the things that come from people’s mouths these days are atrocious! The economy is in crisis, yet it’s based a lot on debt. And people choose sides, yet too few can really explain why they are there. The country I love, and the one that I thought would only get better, looks to be at great risk….particularly in its current form.
As for me, I have always been interested and involved in politics, but my job prevents me from speaking out about it because of our tax-exempt status. Yet more than ever, I am concerned about where all this is headed. We are a country still under 250 years old. I worry about us continuing past 300. In history, even some of the greatest civilizations collapsed…..usually due to ideological conflicts too. I do not want to be an alarmist, but these issues and changes are significant. The swing in order to save the economy currently being presented is not capitalistic, but socialistic, and freedom is truly sacrificed there. And if our freedom is sacrificed in one place, then others, I believe, will follow. I have been ordained 20 years next year…..and I guarantee you that religion, particularly Christianity, has been under assault. If we continue to head down these roads, we are headed for even harder times.
My friends, pray for good men and women to make good decisions, not on the fear of being re-elected or not, but on our behalf. And pray for our country, that America may be restored, and not further divided. Pray that freedom may reign free, and not be restricted. And pray that those who feel freedom is to do anything, will grow to understand that freedom is not really about self, but about the giving of self for the good of the whole. It is truly preposterous to think that freedom just means doing what you want or saying what you want. That is a grave misunderstanding of what it means to be free, and I do not use the word grave lightly. Yet it appears to be THE definition of freedom in our modern world.
My friends, keep the faith. Stand firm for it, and for the freedoms that so many have given their lives for, and that so many still stand in harm’s way on our behalf for. Freedom, in fact, is not free, but has come to us at a great cost. And that price has been paid on our behalf many times. Let’s be grateful for it and not squander it. It is far too important to take any of this lightly.
Okay, I am calling it a night, but will stay up here on my soapbox, for these are important issues…..far too important in fact to not keep in front of us!
Goodnight my friends and God bless. Pray for our country, and pray that just paths may appear and be followed.
Fr. Tom+