Who You Gonna Believe?

From today’s reading…

Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle a case between brothers? But rather brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers?”

When Paul was writing this to the Corinthians they were a reborn people living as occupied people. 

They were given new hope, a renewed faith, the Good News…but old habits are hard to break.

So Paul was slapping some sense into them with today’s reading.

He was telling them to get their houses in order.

To keep their houses in order.

To find ethical leaders moved by the wisdom of their new faith, who adhere to their new standards instead of corrupt secular leaders who based their decisions on convenience and expediency for themselves.

Some things never change.

West Virginia has impeached four Supreme Court Justices.

The FBI had a “media leak strategy” against candidate Trump.

We know we were manipulated into joining World War I. (See “Falsehood in Wartime: Propaganda Lies of the First World War” by Sir Arthur Ponsonby.)

FDR lied to his most ardent supporters about not sending troops to Europe to support the Allies just so he could be elected. (Joining WWII was the right thing to do. I’m just providing examples of lies, corruption, and duplicity in our government.)

And don’t even get me started on the lies told by five presidents about Vietnam.

Are all members of the Church above reproach? Absolutely not.

We are fallen beings and as such the Church has seen its fair share of scandals, abuses, and coverups.

Yet for 2,000 years it has prevailed, which is about 10 times longer than even our Constitution and Bill of Rights, so I know that when push comes to shove following Paul’s advise is the best way to… 

Stay the course. Keep the faith. Endure.