I’m sure we can all agree that the world is broken. Whether you’re a follower or unsure, I think we can agree that things just aren’t right in the world. Our culture would have us believe that the problem with the world is due to someone or something else. I need to remind myself what my dear dad used to say: Remember when you are pointing your finger at someone there are always three fingers pointing back at you.
The gospel writer advises us that it is not someone or something else. Mark states that what comes out of our mouths gets us into trouble. I am sometimes guilty of saying things that I regret later, and I don’t think I’m alone. We were all born in sin. Like our first parents, Adam and Eve, we all have fallen short of God’s grace and need God’s forgiveness.
We need the Messiah to teach us something contrary to the community’s view of the world. We need Jesus to teach us that the problem with the world is not out there. It’s not someone or something else that is the problem. The problem is in us. The problem is our hearts and mouths.
Our prayer needs be like king David’s.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Amen. —