Yesterday at Mass it suddenly struck me – the enormity of Jesus’ impact on humanity down through 2,000 years of history to today. In contrast my own existence seems so ephemeral and fleeting, like one of those little sparks thrown up by a bonfire, there for an instant and then gone. Whereas He continues, sometimes to blaze, sometimes simply an element in the consciousness of millions, but He continues.
How does Jesus fit in to the human situation today, I wonder? I am more and more aware of the brazen hypocrisy of our self-serving politicians, of the evil and destruction done to the lives of millions by the selfishness of the rich and powerful, and of the quiet desperation of the poor and powerless. Never has the problem of evil and suffering struck me so forcefully. What can I do? What can any individual do? We say prayers, as though that will accomplish something. I feel it only salves our consciences. It is a great mystery the absence of God. Is He in the poor and suffering? Are they the face of God today? What might that mean? What might that tell us about God?