We hear a very interesting Scripture reading this morning from Isaiah, one of the prophets who speaks to us a lot during Advent. The Lord, speaking through Isaiah, tells us that he teaches us what is for our good, that he leads us in the right direction. The Lord explains that if we would hearken to his commandments, our prosperity would flow like a river and our vindication would be like the waves of the sea. Easier said than done, we might think. How do we know God's will for us? How do we follow the his commandments, especially during the complex situations that confront us in our modern lives?
I remember reading an article about practicing mercy in our lives of faith, with a long list of things we can do to be more merciful toward others. The first piece of advice was to “resist sarcasm; it is the antithesis of mercy.” How true is that? You just have to go on Facebook or look at the texts and emails we receive to realize how sarcastic our modern world has become. People do not realize how much words can damage. Many of us can attest to being the target of bullying or sarcastic comments of social media, sometimes even by individuals who have never met us. As we continue journeying through the holy season of Advent, as we continue to follow God’s will for us, let us remember how damaging our words can be. Let us make our words instruments of peace rather than weapons of despair.
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