Seeker

I'm a bit tongue-tied when it comes to speaking of angels. Angels have never featured strongly in my theology. The idea of angels is popular nowadays. It seems many people who don't have much faith in God are comforted by trust in guardian angels, often of a rather domesticated sentimental variety. I wonder if worship of angels has replace worship of God for some? When angels are mentioned in the Bible it is usually as God's messengers, who deliver God's message. In St John's visions in the book of Revelation angels and archangels are pictured as created heavenly beings who serve and praise God. If I were to meet one in heavenly form today I think I would be terrified. I think though that I have met angels in disguise - often. Today is Michaelmas Day, the Festival of Michael and All Angels. The figure of the Archangel Michael in Revelation is described as serving God by leading a heavenly army in the struggle between good and evil, culminating in Michael and...

Can evil be rooted out? If so, how? And whose job is it? Can a community purify itself of corrupt practices or 'bad' people? Penelopepiscopal has posted a sermon today on Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds, which was today's gospel from Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43. She suggest that in this parable several realities confront us. "First, good and evil, as well as good and bad, and good and not so good, exist side by side. Second, they are hard to tell apart until they are in full fruit. Third, the good often gets damaged when someone tries to root out the bad." She raises difficult questions such as why is there evil in the world and what are we supposed to do about it? Is Jesus telling us in this parable that we must sit and do nothing when bad things happen? She concludes: "And so, Jesus says, don't spend your time trying to root out the people you think are weeds in your community. Good people will get hurt in the effort. And it...