In Exodus 7:3,13, as well as: 9:12, 10:1, 20,27, 11:10, 14:4,8, we see the hardening of Pharoah's heart to the apparent good fortune of the Jewish people. Exodus 7:3 specifically says from the word of God: "But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart."
This seems quite obviously a statement of intent. Therefore, debate centers on God's grant of 'free will' and whether it was God who intervened, hardened Pharoah's heart and therefore, was not consistent with his 'gift' of free will.
So, did God allow, indirectly, the hardening of Pharoah's heart through frustrations (i.e. plagues, etc.) which lead to more stubbornness from the 'god king'? Or, was it God who directly hardened his heart to the benefit of his 'chosen' people?
There is good debate on this topic, especially because of the potential in-congruence with God's gift of 'free will', even to the most despicable of us.
However, I took the debate one step further and believe I either lost the others at the table with obscure and '3-dimensional' logic, or I was a total buffoon. I like to think it was the latter.
I proposed this:
If we acknowledge God as the giver of everything, then we must believe that any successes we enjoy in this life are gifts given by God. Humility is one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues; and entails the non-acknowledgment of our achievements to our 'self' but, rather, to God; for he is ever-powerful and the bearer of good fortune.
Therefore, all those in the highest power are in place due to God's granting of success in their lives. In digression, we know many in power tend to corrupt because they do not acknowledge that the successes are not their own, but God's grant of achievement in their lives. Lord Acton said: "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
God, therefore, granted the 'good fortune' in the life of the Pharaoh and allowed him to become the most powerful worldly ruler, at that time.
Now, with power comes the increased ability to corrupt it. You see this more than once in history, as humans clutch large amounts of worldly sovereignty and abuse it. Pharaoh with the highest amount of 'granted' power in the world, and, therefore the most volatile free will, chose to portray himself as a god, not acknowledge 'his' success to God for his status and therefore, was given the ultimate earthly challenge.
Now, another debate could circle around the challenges God allows to be placed before us. A hurdle and perhaps, the greatest possible challenge, given the situation, perception and experiences was the allowance of the Pharaoh's heart to harden. Consider it the largest task in this life to overcome. The Pharoah did not and he suffered the consequences.
Now, you're saying: "Yes, but did that mean God hardened his heart?"
To that I say no. At least, not directly. The summation calculates to the fact that Pharoah was given all the power in the world and all the ability to use that power for an intended good. He did not. He became stubborn, and abused all the power he had been granted; hardening his own heart through sin.
Tuesday 14 December 2010
Sunday 12 December 2010
12 December: Feast of Our Lady Of Guadalupe
Two masses today and one with the Archbishop of Indianapolis.
I arose feeling terrible and if it was not for a divine grace to get me up to make 9:30, it was a divine grace to get me there safely through the snow.
Today was the feast of Our Lady Of Guadalupe and therefore, the church combined the Spanish-speaking service with the regular 9:30 a.m. mass. Honoring the patroness of the America's, several of the Hispanic community joined the normally-English spoken mass. A mariachi band from Indianapolis participated with the liturgy, Fr. Todd did half the homily in English and half in Spanish. It was a fantastic time. And, yet as I sat or kneeled in the pew I noticed the 'normal' parishioners were a bit irked by this sudden difference in what they were used to at 9:30 mass on Sunday morning.
They seemed a bit put off by this 'multi-cultural' experience. And I became a bit aggravated and attempted to put myself in the shoes of the so-called Richmond lifers and the newest residents, the hispanic population(s) which has exploded in the last 10 years. And, I noticed something very aggravating to the 'lifers' but exciting for the hispanic parishioners, exciting for me and exciting for the church.
While 'we' white folk are displeased, for the most part, with an 'infiltration' of Spanish-speaking population from our Southern border, mainly, we do nothing but, proves ourselves ignorant while we stand in pews every Sunday and give the profession of faith.
As the culture of the United States crumbles, parents disapear and children are raising children much is to blame on the faults of the 'most-inlightened' population. In our pride for our grand acheivements, neglecting the true embodyment of success, we have neglected humility and the structure of the family system. The church teaches it, it is truth, and we profess to it; but, we don't follow it.
And, here I sit watching the hispanic families. Husbands, wives and their children all partaking in mass. A casual glanch finds white parishioners with broken families and aggravation on their faces as Fr. Todd gives the homily in Spanish.
Coming from a near-universally Catholic country, our new should-be friends and neighbors pay homage to the churches teachings, raise families, nurture them, work hard and put the others around them before themselves. These are fundamental teachings. They are truth and they are things that 'we' have neglected, leading to a degredation of society and a culture of death, where abortion is legal and is an 'option.'
And since 'a woman's right to choose' became more important than the lives of innocent children the country has fallen apart from the inside. And, we see it in everything from entertainment, to modern music to the culture in our high schools.
And, the new hope. God's children; those who follow his ways, live the way of the church and don't make turn on the decisons God has already made, are thriving and happy. They are the new hope for this country and we want them out. It's a sad, sad time.
While 'we' think they should go home, we show our ignorance and our pride; two things we agree to work against while we stand or kneel in those same pews.
I arose feeling terrible and if it was not for a divine grace to get me up to make 9:30, it was a divine grace to get me there safely through the snow.
Today was the feast of Our Lady Of Guadalupe and therefore, the church combined the Spanish-speaking service with the regular 9:30 a.m. mass. Honoring the patroness of the America's, several of the Hispanic community joined the normally-English spoken mass. A mariachi band from Indianapolis participated with the liturgy, Fr. Todd did half the homily in English and half in Spanish. It was a fantastic time. And, yet as I sat or kneeled in the pew I noticed the 'normal' parishioners were a bit irked by this sudden difference in what they were used to at 9:30 mass on Sunday morning.
They seemed a bit put off by this 'multi-cultural' experience. And I became a bit aggravated and attempted to put myself in the shoes of the so-called Richmond lifers and the newest residents, the hispanic population(s) which has exploded in the last 10 years. And, I noticed something very aggravating to the 'lifers' but exciting for the hispanic parishioners, exciting for me and exciting for the church.
While 'we' white folk are displeased, for the most part, with an 'infiltration' of Spanish-speaking population from our Southern border, mainly, we do nothing but, proves ourselves ignorant while we stand in pews every Sunday and give the profession of faith.
As the culture of the United States crumbles, parents disapear and children are raising children much is to blame on the faults of the 'most-inlightened' population. In our pride for our grand acheivements, neglecting the true embodyment of success, we have neglected humility and the structure of the family system. The church teaches it, it is truth, and we profess to it; but, we don't follow it.
And, here I sit watching the hispanic families. Husbands, wives and their children all partaking in mass. A casual glanch finds white parishioners with broken families and aggravation on their faces as Fr. Todd gives the homily in Spanish.
Coming from a near-universally Catholic country, our new should-be friends and neighbors pay homage to the churches teachings, raise families, nurture them, work hard and put the others around them before themselves. These are fundamental teachings. They are truth and they are things that 'we' have neglected, leading to a degredation of society and a culture of death, where abortion is legal and is an 'option.'
And since 'a woman's right to choose' became more important than the lives of innocent children the country has fallen apart from the inside. And, we see it in everything from entertainment, to modern music to the culture in our high schools.
And, the new hope. God's children; those who follow his ways, live the way of the church and don't make turn on the decisons God has already made, are thriving and happy. They are the new hope for this country and we want them out. It's a sad, sad time.
While 'we' think they should go home, we show our ignorance and our pride; two things we agree to work against while we stand or kneel in those same pews.
Friday 10 December 2010
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