Public Witness
Gospel & Reflection
Matthew 5:13-16
We need to be bold in articulating what we believe and why we love God. We have to affirm that such love has a right to be spoken and acted upon in public!
Yes growing up outside in the woods living love, life, joy while my brothers would sit and watched TV.
When we arrived in NJ in the 1970s, the woods behind my house extended for miles. It passed by a farm, my elementary school, included a river and lake then a community park. Another farm and woods continued across the street with the third farm further behind that.
When I complete High School in the 1980s, the farms and most all the woods were gone. The beauty that I knew in early childhood, was replaced with the suburban development checkerboard of homes and roads.
This mindless destruction of Earth's wild beauty parallels the pointless pursuit of beer and sports. . . TV creating programmed alcoholics.
I've tried to explain how drinking is not bad or evil. Sharing in celebration is wonderful. But when the drink takes over, then we have evil. A beer or glass of wine is great, but not a 6-pack or a full bottle. Drinking to get drunk, lose consciousness, escape, or getting tipsy is the problem. Drinking and celebrating is fine and wonderful, but the need or desire get drunk is really a mental health problem. To seek escaping life or consciousness is a clear sign about some deeper personal issues to address. Alcohol or drugs to escape doesn't solve anything, but escaping circumstances is avoiding responsibility.
