Good news to the poor

The gospels record that Jesus preached good news to the poor, and an essential part of that good news was that they were to be poor no longer.
- Dorothy Day,
quoted in Dead Man Walking by Helen Prejean
as quoted on God's Politics

Hammarskjöld on what God is

God is something so simple: always to live for others, never to seek one’s own advantage.
- Dag Hammarskjöld,
from his book Markings
as quoted on God's Politics

Thought provoking or just provoking?

I read an interesting article on the net the other day. It was called Christians Who Are Against LGBT Misuse The Bible, written by Greg Carey (Professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary) and published on the Huffington Post 11.8.12.
Hiding behind the Bible doesn't exempt us from responsibility for our beliefs and behaviors. The Bible is a complicated book. Using the Bible to condemn sexual minorities requires that people make a series of choices and assumptions,
Carey writes, and the goes on to analyze some of those assumptions. It all comes down to your interpretation. And whenever you read something - anything - you automatically interpret it. You just can't avoid it. Saying you read something the way it is written means you close your eyes to the fact of your own interpretation. And then you will go astray more surely than if you acknowledge your interpretation and take it into account. Professor Carey writes:
There's no avoiding the problem of interpretation - or the responsibility that goes with it.
Julius Caesar said, "People believe what they want to believe." Modern psychology has confirmed his wisdom: Our moral choices tend to reflect our biases and passions more than an unbiased process of moral reflection. Let's be honest: if you're anti-gay, you're anti-gay. Just don't blame the Bible for your bigotry.
Please read the whole thing - it isn't all that long. Perhaps it will provoke you - which is healthy enough - but hopefully it will also be thought provoking.

Ora et labora

The things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us the grace to labor for.
- Thomas More,
English philosopher, lawyer, and author of Utopia
as quoted on God's Politics

New media

An elderly gentleman was visiting his daughter and her husband when he asked if he could borrow a newspaper.
'This is the 21st century, old man,' the son-in-law said. 'We don't waste money on newspapers. Here, you can borrow my iPad.'

The bloody fly never knew what hit it. 
Thanks to MadPriest!

Securing the good

The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.
- Jane Addams
as quoted on God's Politics

Good medicine for sunburns

A guy fell asleep on the beach and got a horrible sunburn, specifically to his thighs. He went to the hospital and was admitted with second-degree burns. His skin was starting to blister and he was in severe pain so the doctor prescribed continuous saline, electrolytes, a sedative, and a Viagra pill every four hours.
The nurse, who was astounded, asked, 'What good will Viagra do for him?'
The doctor replied, 'It won't do anything for his condition, but it'll keep the sheets off his legs.'
Thanks to MadPriest!