Sermons (Page 138)

Do you remember reading a story when you were three- or four-years-old? When we were younger we often wanted to know what happens next in a story. We wanted to know: where did they move, or was the baby born? As we begin reading novels we begin to learn that focusing on the plot alone may cause use to miss out on the meaning. Eventually we learn that sometimes stories are less about what happens and more about to whom things happen…

“Ponder this question: who is more likely to lie, cheat, and steal – the poor person or the rich one?” Dare I ask us to vote with our hands? I won’t, but answer for yourself honestly. “It’s temping to think that the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to act fairly,” says one author. However, a few researches found that luxury car drivers were more likely to cut off other motorists instead of waiting their turn, and that luxury car drivers were also more likely to speed past pedestrians trying to use a crosswalk, even after making eye contact. Other studies looked at different factors and generally found that “upper class individual are worse at recognizing the emotions of others and less likely to pay attention to people they are interacting with (for example, by checking their cell phones or doodling). Overall, these researchers found that “as people climb the social ladder, their compassionate feelings towards other people decline.” Today’s gospel reading has something to say about this phenomenon…

As a major news event unfolds there is one type of story that almost always seems to pop up. It happened with Brussels’ terror attack and the Paris’ terror attack. It happened with the recent EgyptAir flight’s crash. It has happened with the Zika virus and the idea of a contested convention. It’s the infamous story entitled “what we know and don’t know about (fill in the blank).” It’s an article that attempts to articulate where things are in an investigation. We get a list of things discovered, and a list of questions investigators pursue. Generally, we feel most comfortable waiting to draw a firm conclusion until most of the facts are complied. However, what happens when we are presented with a story with outstanding questions and no potential for answers? How do we draw our conclusions?…