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When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard
Jesus’ parables, they
knew that he was speaking about them. And
although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds,
for they regarded him as a prophet.
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"If I could escape, I would, but first
of all let me say, I
must apologize for acting, treating you this way, ‘cause
I’ve been acting like
sour milk fell on the floor: it’s your fault you didn’t
shut the
refrigerator—maybe that’s the reason I’ve been acting
so cold. If I could escape and re-create a place as my
own world and I could be your favorite girl forever, perfectly
together, tell
me, now wouldn’t that be sweet. If I
could be sweet, I know I’ve been a real bad girl, I didn’t
mean for you to get
hurt forever. We can make it
better. You let me down. I can see that you’re angry
by the way you
treat me."
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The
situation of the song "The Sweet Escape" is common enough. One person
in the relationship says and does certain things, the other
reacts. Things get "personal" and the relationship is at the point that
Gwen Stefani describes in the song. As she sings of a solution,
she says: "If I could re-create a place as my own world," that is to
say, that she must set up some pattern to be better in which her world
(and presumably, his world) would flourish again.
Jesus often spoke about such a pattern in his teaching. Using stories and parables, he challenged his listeners to "re-create a place" as their own world, to re-create a place in which a change of attitude could take place, and thus their lives would be better. Often people did not want to hear the challenge. The Pharisees are a prime example. Not wanting to listen to the challenge, they proceeded to eliminate the challenger. Whether we are talking about a romantic relationship as Gwen Stefani is in her song, or a relationship that will change our attitude toward life as Jesus was, we have to make ourselves aware that we could be part of the problem. Before any progress can be made in any situation, people must become aware of their own involvement. The old adage, "If you are not part of the solution, you are a part of the problem," is quite real. Every situation that is not good is someone's fault, and often that "someone" just may be ourselves. |
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THOUGHT
What
is the basic reason behind not wanting to admit guilt?
PRAYER Good
and gracious God, we know that our human natures can be problems
because we do not like to admit guilt. Help us understand that we must
study the
problems that we have, being ready to admit that our attitudes may be
part of
those problems. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |