don't believe everything you see on TV

In the beginning, according to the book of Genesis, God created the world, and it was good. Then, like a baker, He added more ingredients: plants, trees, the sun, the rain, the animals. It was all good. Then He stood back, rubbed His chin for a moment and knew He needed to add yet one more thing. Man. Created in His own likeness and image. And so, Man came to be. And it was good.
or was it?

Gee....judging by the news lately, creating Man also created a whole new set of problems and actually, those problems surfaced almost immediately! Man was tempted by his beautiful but naive wife, and then their son! Oh my! Jealousy raised its ugly head and their son killed his own brother!
Paradise was a short lived idea. All of the love and simplicity that God had imbued them with came to a crashing halt. Man was put into a virtual time out. For many years Man wandered the earth seeking solace, until Jesus came to redeem us. But wait! He said, "I will come back! I will tame Evil once and for all but until then, your mission is to spread that news all over the earth!"

And so there were believers and non-believers. And evil laughed and to this day, has increased peoples' hate towards one another. Judgment, racial hatred, religious hatred, it's all the same. Some days it seems as if hate will win out. At least....that's what the news media would have you believe. It's almost as if they spin anger, discord and violence into a whirlwind that would cause even more grief through protests, more violence and killings.

I am here to tell you now, just as Jesus told us two thousand years ago, that although it would appear that evil is winning, it isn't. It can't! Why? How do I know this? It's simple: Jesus redeemed the world by His Cross and Resurrection. We already have been saved. All one needs to do is to accept that...live a life full of goodness, mercy and kindness. Love God as much as you love yourself and love your neighbor as much as you love God. Who is your neighbor? It is anyone, from any walk of life, that you encounter each day. Treat them with love, with compassion. Reserve any judgment for God. We are to forgive our enemies, love those who hate us, be like little children. These are all admonishments that Christ taught us while here.

So why is that so impossible? Simple again. Evil WANTS us to feel despair. Evil wants us to feel hate, to create and cause pain. Evil wants to re-create that moment in the Garden of Eden of doubt: the doubt that God is perfect and wants only goodness. "Why should God have all the power?" Evil told Eve. "All you have to do is to partake in this act and you too will have eyes of God!"

Can you see this today? Greed on the part of politicians have us believing they are the savior of the world when in fact they could care less about you and I, so long as they convince you they do. Why fall for that? Greed also from corporations claiming they have your best interests at heart as they poison our food supply, our water and our air. Greed also from business heads who will claim the lions' share of profits all the while giving you a measly 1% raise. How can anyone survive on that? They can't.

Today, be a voice for change. One does not need violence to create a wave of change. Stand up for what you know is wrong by looking out for those who have less than you do. Give of what you have, be it your time, your talents or your treasure. Encourage positive change by living a positive life. You don't need a street corner to toot your own horn, just actions given out of love and concern.
You can be the one who changes the world. As St. Mother Teresa said, "I am a little pencil in the Hand of God."

So simple...yet so profound.