It's the neighborhood, stupid!

Hang out in bad neighborhoods and bad things happen. Hang out in good neighborhoods and good things happen. The company you keep both inside and outside your head makes all the difference in the world. That is why prayer is important. Prayer brings God to your neighborhood. Defend your neighborhood. Invite in the good. Evict the bad. God, also, keeps his neighborhood clean. “ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8 )

How to end abortion

Yes, the "god-free" and the "god-light" are the source of many problems.

Sins including the sin of abortion are the weeds that grow in the crack between our understanding of God and the nature of God. To control the weeds, resources need to be devoted to moving our understanding of God into a one-to-one correspondence with the nature of God. No crack; no weeds.

Evangelization is the cure for abortion.

BELIEF BEGETS BEHAVIOR (Luke 6:45) (Luke 17:20-21) (Matthew 15:19) (Mark 7:15-21). If you want to influence our behavior, you must first upgrade our understanding of God. God himself lamented, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). To influence the effects, you must first take control of their causes. Some, however, mistakenly think that they can bypass the hard job of upgrading our understanding of God and instead, like a king, directly regulate our behavior by fiat. They think that their stultifying codex of rules, regulations, red tape and rigmarole begets behavior. Their substitution of their codex for an upgraded understanding of God does not work. It is a failure. The evidence is the status quo. There is no shortcut. In order to reap the sweet fruits, the tree must be first cultivated (Luke 6:43-45). A ton of resources needs to be poured into the cultivation of the tree. It is ludicrous to expect the tree to bear sweet fruits when fiat is substituted for upgrading our understanding of God. WE NEED WITNESSES NOT KINGS. MORE REVELATION; LESS REGULATION.

Have we forgotten how to evangelize? What is the powerful gravity that pulls the children of Adam and Eve into a centripetal orbit around Jesus? What gives Christianity its magic and Jesus his charisma? Have we forgotten? I assure you, it is not the Church's stultifying codex of rules, regulations, red tape and rigmarole. It is not the inscrutable presence of God. It is the story of God that Jesus released into the Valley of Tears on the road from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection. JESUS DID NOT JUST GIVE US A DECLARATION ABOUT GOD AS A PRIEST GIVES US A HOMILY. HE GAVE US A DEMONSTRATION OF GOD. The demonstration of God was done on the road from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection. In the demonstration, we took from Jesus his flesh and blood even though his flesh and blood did not belong to us. Jesus forgave us even though we did not deserve forgiveness (Jeremiah 31:31-34) (Luke 23:34) (Matthew 26:28). In his gentle answer to the brutal evil that we did to Jesus, we discover that Jesus is our friend not our foe. He is with us not against us. He is on our side not on the opposing side. The gentleness of his answer begets our confidence in Jesus. It is the most powerful force on earth.

Let us use it.

Christianity, when done right, confronts us with the reality of God's love for us. Christianity is the religion that challenges us to come to grips with the fact that our God is head over heals in love with us. Christianity, when done right, rubs our noses into this truth. It sticks this fact in our faces. It pokes us in the eye with it. It whacks us over the head with it. The blow gobsmacks us. It knocks us off our horse (Acts 9:4). It is the blockbuster that changes the game. It is the catalyst of our conversion - the agent of our transformation. "... for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:31-34) (Luke 23:34).

Let's devote 50% of the effort to eliminate abortion to upgrading our understanding of God? Is 50% too much to ask?

There is a way to reduce the weeds. It can kill multiple birds with one stone not just abortion. The only question is 'will it be pursued?'.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge", God lamented (Hosea 4:6). Abortion arises when there is a gap - a disconnect - between our understanding of God and the nature of God. Close the gap; reduce abortion. How do we close the gap? God is not dead. Indeed, God is very much alive. However, the conversation about God is dead. Killing the conversation about God is tantamount to killing God. The enemies of the Church know this. The Church does not. Close the gap between our understanding of God and the nature of God by bringing God back to the conversation. As the gap narrows, our practice of life grows richer. We bear fruit "some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold" (Matthew 13:8). When the gap closes, a circuit is established between us and our God. Our understanding of God is perfected. The connection transforms us. "... for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:31-34) (Luke 23:34) (Matthew 26:28). Participating in an abortion protest or talking about an abortion protest does not close the gap. It does not put God back into the conversation. Can we devote 50% of the conversation to God? Is 50% too much to ask?

What went wrong and how do we fix it?

The enemies of the children of Adam and Eve reveal themselves by trying to destroy the outposts of heaven that God established in the Valley of Tears. The outposts are oasis in the Valley of Tears where we enjoy the fruits of love - where we get a taste of heaven here on earth. One such outpost is the relationship between a mother and child. This is the reason that Jesus put his mother and John into this relationship:

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

John 19:25-27

Jesus wanted heaven on earth for his mother and for John. "... thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." (Matthew 6:10).

Jesus came to do religion not politics. Politics works from the outside in. Religion works from the inside out. Jesus worked to Christianize us from the inside out not the outside in (Luke 17:20-21). Jesus did not come to rule us as king (John 18:37) . He came to love us. Kings beget rules, regulations, red tape and rigmarole. But, only love begets love. Jesus understood the chain of cause and effect. That is why he loved us first (1 John 4:19). While we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) , Jesus loved us first (1 John 4:19) . Jesus initiated the process of transforming sinners into saints by loving us. He was the first drop (1 John 4:19) . However, he did not complete the process. Our job is to complete the process. Our job is, like his, to dilute the toxicity of the Valley of Tears by pouring the sweet syrup of love into it. Our job is to turn the drop into a flood.

Our clergy try to evangelize through the use of words. God evangelized us through the use of love. Who is right? God or the clergy? Which methodology works? The way of evangelization is through the heart not the mind. Not until the clergy learn that words do not work - that there is no substitute for love - , will the outposts of heaven here on earth be safe.

LAWS DO NOT CHANGE HEARTS. ONLY LOVE CHANGES HEARTS. Only love depetrifies our hearts of stone (Ezekiel 36:26) .

Abortion is a failure of religion not a failure of politics. It is the failure of religion to love enough. If you want to save the babies, love more.

More religion; less politics. We cannot serve the master of politics and the master of religion (Matthew 6:24). Our resources are limited. There are opportunity costs. The more time, resources and energy we spend on politics, the less time, resources and energy we spend on religion. If you truly want to bring utopia here on earth, devote your time, resources and energy to religion not politics. Only religion makes a difference. The solution is more religion not more politics. Fill hearts to the brim with love and "it must follow, as the night the day", that our laws will protect both mothers and babies.

Our enemies reveal themselves in their attempts to destroy the outposts of heaven that God established here on earth. An outpost of heaven is an oasis where its inhabitants enjoy the sweet fruits of love here in the Valley of Tears. One such outpost is the relationship between a mother and child. This is the reason that Jesus put his mother and John into this relationship (John 19:25-27). Jesus wanted heaven on earth for his mother and for John. "... thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." (Matthew 6:10).

Jesus came to do religion not politics. Politics works from the outside in. Religion works from the inside out. Jesus worked to Christianize us from the inside out not the outside in (Luke 17:20-21). Jesus did not come to rule us as king (John 18:37) . He came to love us. Kings beget rules, regulations, red tape and rigmarole. But, only love begets love. Jesus understood the chain of cause and effect. That is why he loved us first (1 John 4:19). While we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) , Jesus loved us first (1 John 4:19) . Jesus initiated the process of transforming sinners into saints by loving us. He was the first drop (1 John 4:19) . However, he did not complete the process. Our job is to complete the process. Our job is, like his, to dilute the toxicity of the Valley of Tears by pouring the sweet syrup of love into it. Our job is to turn the drop into a flood.

Our clergy try to evangelize through the use of words. God evangelized us through the use of love. Who is right? God or the clergy? Which methodology works?

LAWS DO NOT CHANGE HEARTS. ONLY LOVE CHANGES HEARTS. Only love depetrifies our hearts of stone (Ezekiel 36:26) .

It is cheap to lob a homily at us about abortion from the safety of the sidelines. It is much more expensive to pay the cost of love. The greater is the cost that is paid, the greater is the love. The size of the payment is evidence of the size of the love.. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13) (John 12:24).

Abortion is a failure of religion not a failure of politics. It is the failure of religion to love enough. If you want to save the babies, love more.

More religion; less politics.

Jesus introduced the currency of love into the Valley of Tears and, in so doing, initiated the economy of paradise here on the earth. The economy of paradise is based on the currency of love. With ordinary currency, the more we spend, the poorer we get. It is a paradox, but with the currency of love, the more we spend, the richer we get. <b>GOD WANTS US TO SPEND OUR WAY OUT OF POVERTY. GOD WANTS US TO MAKE OURSELVES RICH (John 4: 13-14) (John 10:10)!</b>

To help us grow rich in the Valley of Tears here on earth, God seeded the Valley of Tears with naturally occurring communities of love. A naturally occurring community of love is rigged to promote the birth, growth and flourishing of love. An example of a naturally occurring community of love is the relationship of mother and child. Other examples are family, friendship, marriage, tribe and Church. A naturally occurring community of love is an outpost of heaven here on earth. The value of love is discovered in a naturally occurring community of love. A naturally occurring community of love is a school that teaches us to love.

Our enemies reveal themselves by trying to destroy naturally occurring communities of love. Our friends, by contrast, reveal themselves by protecting and promoting them.

Our friends, however, self-sabotage their efforts to protect and promote the relationship of a mother and child when they talk about festering wounds, perverse understanding of freedom, blood payments, ability to will, Nietzsche, sacrificed their children to bloodthirsty gods, our culture of death, a profane notion of freedom, etc. Such rhetoric obscures the beauty of what is taking place in a community of love.

Not once in this article did the author discuss the centrality of love in the relationship of mother and child and how abortion is an attack on love. The lack of discussion suggests that the author does not understand that abortion is but one battle in the serpent's war against love.

There is no greater self-sabotage than a godless morality - a morality where love is AWOL.

In what circumstances do we invite our government into the relationship between a mother and her child? In what circumstances do we invite the police, prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, wardens and correction officers into the relationship between a mother and her child? In what circumstances do we want to exclude them? What about contraception? Do we invite the government’s criminal justice system in or do we exclude it? What about with regard to the obligation to go to Mass on Sunday’s? What rules, regulations, red tape and rigmarole do we invite the government in and what do we exclude?

Is it possible for a person to oppose abortion yet does not want to invite the police, prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, wardens and correction officers to be involved?

And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him

In his homily on today’s gospel, the priest missed the point. He lobbed a homily at the sparse congregation from the safety of the ambo but it did not detonate. The gospel was about the smallness of our thoughts compared to the largeness of God’s. The priest did not get it.

The gospel was about Matthew 21:33-43 (Bible Gateway). When the husbandmen kills the heir, we are asked, “ When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?” We respond, “He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.”

This, however, is not how it happened. We expressed our limited understanding. In the parable, we only saw a need for revenge, retaliation and retribution. God, however, saw a need for something more. God was not interested in giving us a lesson in justice as the children of Adam and Eve understand it.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts”

Isaiah 55:8-9 (Bible Gateway)

To the surprise of the children of Adam and Eve, instead of killing us, God forgave us (Luke 23:34). Instead of releasing the three-headed monster of revenge, retaliation and retribution into the Valley of Tears, God released the Angel of Forgiveness.

We tortured and killed the God who loves us. We made the God who loves us suffer and die. Yet, he did not stay dead and he did not stop loving us. He emerged from the dead still alive and still in love with us. His love for us survived the evil that we did to him. That he emerged from the dead still alive revealed to us his power. Nobody emerges from the dead. He did. That he emerged from the dead still in love with us, however, revealed to us something more significant about divinity than power. Our conception of divinity as power is incomplete - flawed. Divinity is also love - a mysteriously intransigent, inexplicably persistent and radically stubborn love (Isaiah 55:8-9) (Psalm 8:4-8) (Lamentations 3:22-23) .

The priest missed the point. Jesus, however, did not. By forgiving us for the evil that we did to him, Jesus upgraded our understanding of God. He bumped it up a level or two. He gave us the best approximation of God in the lopsided transaction that took place on the road from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection - a high fidelity representation of the reality of God.

The evil that we did to him opened the floodgates of forgiveness. Forgiveness flowed through his bloody wounds and into the Valley of Tears to dilute its toxicity in the same way that sugar cubes dilute the bitterness of a cup of bad coffee.

The greater was the evil that we did to him, the more astonishing is his forgiveness of us and the greater our curiosity becomes in the God who loves us.

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What is the difference between a priest who lobs homilies at the congregation from the safety of an ambo and Jesus?

Jesus did not stay on the sidelines in safety away from the fray. He led by example. Unlike the typical priest, Jesus exited the sidelines and entered the "game". He joined us in the scrum at the line of scrimmage in the war against evil armed only with the monkey wrench of love. Jesus himself threw the monkey wrench of love into the cycle of evil on the road from the Crucifixion to the Resurrection to disrupt it. He donned the jet pack and flew to show us that we, too, can fly. What a crazy daredevil this Jesus was! Jesus hung from his Cross to teach us how to hang from our crosses. When you hang as Jesus hung, cling as Jesus clung, love as Jesus loved. Hold tight and refuse to let go of love, sufferings invincible foe. Only love kicks sufferings a@@.

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Feedback is the flint that sharpens the blade

Feedback is the flint that sharpens the blade. Because the Church is insensitive to feedback, it has become a dull blade. A dull blade does not cut. The Church does not know how to welcome or process feedback. It has no formal structures to accept and learn from feedback. None. The Church is not set up to listen. It has deaf ears. It props up its ideas with authority. It fears that its ideas cannot compete and survive in the marketplace of ideas. Yet, in modernity, the children of Adam and Eve hold the opinion that "Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of the truth" (Albert Einstein). In an age where the children of Adam and Eve read, write and think for themselves, the Church needs to adjust its behavior. In modernity, the Church needs to allow its ideas to be tested by feedback to prove their worth.