2 Sermons in One

Follow the title to the ERD site for the MDGs. Which one of these goals will your group be assigned to tackle? Eliminating extreme poverty, reducing child mortality, or curing malaria? My fear has always been that if you suddenly reduce child mortality (these goals are meant to be reached quickly), then you will create a sudden rise in population causing new suffering through hunger, violence, and other unintended consequences of your well meant intentions. I think the goals are just and true, but it is the attempt to whip us into a frenzy of action that dooms the project. These problems are so built into the human condition that there is no simple quick "solution." And what does this have to do with the story of the prodigal son? I did not hear Mary Cat give us a link, so I will create one. The story tells us how the good son felt. I think he felt the wayward son should have been beaten, or rejected, and justice was not served. To us, the open arms and celebration of the father gives us hope as we daily return from our sinful ways to a loving God. This type of justice is the unexpected consequence of God's love. For our goals, let us try to follow Jesus' command that we love one another, and make our MDG to seek justice for all. After that is established, the most wonderful unexpected consequences may follow. For one wild comparison of the Christian and Buddhist prodigal son parables check out http://www.comparativereligion.com/prodigal.html