Last Friday morning while listening to NPR on the way to work, I heard Republican governor of Ohio, John Kasich, quoting Matthew 25 and talking about how we need to be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and helping the poor. Then I came home to hear that a federal judge has struck down Alabama's same-sex marriage ban. These two events were signs that there is some sense in which more people are slowly coming to realize what a just society entails.
"My heart shall sing of the day you bring,
Let t he fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
And the world is about to turn."
~ Canticle of the Turning
Perhaps we are indeed a step closer to that beloved community where there is an awareness that how we treat the weakest of our citizens matters. Perhaps we are closer to the point that we will no longer intentionally marginalize those whom we see as different. Perhaps we are closer to seeing a society intent on justice and committed to seeing that every citizen shares equally in the benefits of citizenship.
I am enough of a realist to know that the upheaval sounded in the Magnificat is slow in coming, but some days are lighter that others. Some days we see the turning.
______________________
Picture: "The children are asking"
Painting by Mary Southard
-
