Tag Archives: violence

Defeated?

07 Monday Dec 2015

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God's Remedy
Today’s Reading: Romans 12:21 Version CEV

When you are treated unfairly at work, you will like to go and confront whoever bothers you.

In a bus, someone pushes you. In your car, on your way home, someone cuts you off or honks constantly wanting to pass and get ahead. It makes you want to start a fight.

At least at home things are going well! Well, not always! There is a lack of cooperation, insults, aggressive and hurtful words. And after the discussion follows bitterness, indifference, tears and the desire to drop everything and leave.

Before you get in an argument and fight; before thinking of abandoning everything or continue lamenting your fate, remember: The evil that one receives at home, on the street or anywhere else, can never be removed with the evil we can do. Violence breeds violence! There is only one remedy, an expensive difficult to find now a days. A remedy that never fails: “Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.” This can only be a remedy of God!

Ildefonso Torres

Power And Love

26 Thursday Nov 2015

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Power of Good
Today’s Reading: Mark 7:21-23 Version CEV
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7%3A21-23&version=CEV
In contemplating so much corruption, so much evil, so much selfishness and violence, we think, “All is lost, there is no hope for humanity. It seems that there is no room for kindness, brotherhood, love, understanding between people. The power of evil has spread everywhere, generating hatred, enmity, fights and even death”.

You cannot see death, cannot touch it, but you can feel its effects. Evil comes from the depths, into the heart of people. The Lord says: “Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God.”

However, all is not lost. We think, “Good has been defeated again; but from the ashes he raises to truth and justice. Hatred, violence, lies, envy, crucified Jesus. In the darkness of that day, the forces of evil could have danced and celebrated the victory. But that did not happen. Jesus rose to life, conquering death and sin and all it represented. It was the strength and power of God’s love that triumphed over hatred and evil.

Do good, stay close to Jesus and love your neighbor. This world will not be transformed by hatred and violence, but by the power of justice and the love of God.

Ildefonso Torres

The Fear

09 Wednesday Sep 2015

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The Fear 1
Today’s Reading: Psalm 22 & 23
A simple walk can become a nightmare for an ordinary citizen. Such is the violence and the number of assaults on towns and cities. Add to this the fear of losing their jobs, or having no food, or a nuclear war, or that their children would be into drugs or alcohol. Life has become something that frightens us. None of us is exempt from these problems.

In Psalm 22, David describes his situation: “Many bulls have surrounded me …” and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth… “. How many times have we have felt in the same situation? But in Psalm 23, David expressed his confidence in the Lord. The Lord provides shelter, food, water, protection, just as a shepherd does to his sheep. We should not live terrorized by the evil around us. We should not fear death.

Why not? Because God is with us to lead us to a safe place. Many times we place our trust in the wrong place. Governments and politics can fail us. Friends can leave us. But nonetheless the place where we are or whatever the circumstances, God is always present, He is worthy of all our trust in life and in death, He will never fail us!

Ildefonso Torres

Violence

07 Friday Aug 2015

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Violence

Today’s Reading: Genesis 6:11-13; Titus 1:7-8
Violence is already part of our daily lives. The fear of suffering, the challenge that it provokes, drives us to take certain precautions and work with some habits that give us more security and at the same time take away the pleasure of a free and untroubled life. The harm caused by violence is not only the threat it represents. We discover that violence is within us, dominate our reactions and our reflexes. It invades homes and disrupts family relationships; inhibits the expressions of love and understanding among men and encourages intolerance and hatred.

As Christians we must understand that violence is the product of a consciousness dominated by indifference to the needs of others, sadness and especially the lack of a sense able to control the destructive force of evil that nests within us. With Christ we learn that the love of God, that is within us, is the only force able to encourage us to adopt loving and human attitudes; to motivate us to be tolerant and sympathetic to the weaknesses of others.

Ildefonso Torres