Struck by the Scripture Part I

Sometimes Scripture just speaks to me or just resonates within me for a time after I've read or heard it.  There have been a few that have really stuck with me recently and I wanted to share/record them here.


The first one I heard last November 12th, when we had the blessing of going to a weekday Mass.  (Unfortunately, attending Mass during the week has not been an easy task with having to make sure all the kids and I are dressed and ready to go in order to get there on time, but I digress...)  On this day, the reading was particularly interesting to me as it followed the recent elections (which, fortunately, in our area, resulted in victories for those who hold to traditional family values) and seemed to address the state of our society and the world, actually.


The reading was from the 2nd letter of John, verses 7-9:

Many deceivers have gone out into the world,
those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh;
such is the deceitful one and the antichrist.
Look to yourselves that you do not lose what we worked for
but may receive a full recompense.
Anyone who is so “progressive”
as not to remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God;
whoever remains in the teaching has the Father and the Son.  

So powerful and to the point, right?!  What I especially liked was that, in this translation, the word "progressive" was used.  Today, the word "progressive" is often used by people (those who tend to disagree with traditional values) as a word that indicates "advancement" or "improvement."


An example of this might be heard from someone who believes that a government health care takeover is good thing, such as: "Voting for the proposed health care reform bill was the right thing to do.  Don't you see the need for change?  Do you like the current health care situation?  Don't you want to see improvement?  Don't you think that all people should have access to affordable health care?  If you don't agree, you must not believe in progress!"


But of course we know that true progress doesn't include (additional) government funding of abortion and/or birth control.  True progress doesn't deny the truths of our faith.  It doesn't acknowledge marriage as anything other than a binding commitment before God between one man and one woman.  There is nothing truly progressive about that.  Real progress is following the teachings of Christ and, in that way, making this world a better place for all people.