“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6

Building a better world requires that we pursue justice peacefully and passionately. Racial discrimination, gender inequality, religious inspired violence, economic injustice, all these issues call for solutions that ensure opportunity and freedom for all people.

If we want to end issues that have plagued the world for generations and generations we must seek to understand the ‘root of the problem’.

I truly believe that ‘discrimination is taught’. Discrimination and prejudice of all forms is learned slowly and gradually until human perception is altered. That new perception produces judgmental attitudes and behavior that is offensive and even violent.

If our advocacy for change is truly authentic then we must consider how can we fundamentally change people’s views about right and wrong. We may need new laws to be enacted to protect people of all races from corruption in our world, but we also need something much more systemic and pervasive.

What do we really need?

A NEW HEART AND SPIRITUAL EYES

God promised His people in the Old Testament of the Bible that He would give people a ‘new heart’.

God said,

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:36

God also said,

“And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Exekiel 36:27

This divine promise was fulfilled by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, True God, True Man.

Jesus, God incarnate, came into the world to reconcile us with God The Father. Jesus took all the injustice of our sins upon Himself as He went to the Cross to die for our sins. Jesus opens for us the promise of eternal life and the promise of a new life on earth as we are purified of our sins and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual rebirth allows for us to let go of prejudice and the set of stereotypes we may have held and been taught.

Jesus gives us a chance to learn the TRUTH ABOUT LOVE AND LIFE AND PURPOSE.

TO GOD ALL LIVES MATTER!

For every human being that has suffered any form of violence I pray that you will receive God’s healing and protection. For every person guilty of committing an act of violence or murder I pray that Our Lord Jesus will give you the grace to ask for forgiveness.

For George Floyd may you Rest In Peace. The world is praying for you and your family by standing in the streets and advocating for change.   Let that advocacy be peaceful brothers and sisters for with violence we will only perpetuate more injustice.

The NEW HEART that Jesus gives us enables us to see the world with ‘spiritual eyes’ that enable us to discern right from wrong, good from bad. This moral insight looks not at the colour of the flesh, the gender or any other distinguishing characteristics or affiliations.  Spiritual discernment is a moral perspective that is focused purely on understanding God’s Holy Will so we can fulfill it.

We must turn to the Holy Scriptures for wisdom and understanding and challenge any traditional views that may promote injustice. In the early days of the Church women served in ordained roles. In Romans 16:1 St. Paul acknowledges Phoebe a deacon of the Church. Not long ago I inquired about the possibility of becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church and I was told that I could not pursue this post because I was a woman. I was told that as a woman I cannot stand in ‘persona Christi’, (Latin for ‘in the person of Christ’)

I feel God wills for us to challenge this gender inequality.   Let’s reflect carefully on God’s Truth as spoken through His Holy Word.

“God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

So if men and women are created in the image of God and in Christ what matters is not whether we are male or female but whether we have truly embraced the love of Jesus, why can’t women be ordained as ministers of the Catholic Church?

Hypocrisy as you know is saying one thing and doing another.

If we say that sexual abuse of children is a horrific form of injustice, but then allow the perpetrators of that injustice to remain in the Church as ordained priests then I believe the Church must stop and say ‘wait a minute that’s hypocrisy!’

Change in our world requires that we be true to an ideal where every life is precious.

Romina Ashrafi, a fourteen year-old girl living in Iran was recently killed by her father. He beheaded her in what is described as an ‘honour killing’.

Precious child rest in peace in God’s arms and may this horrible injustice lead to change both in the legal system and in the hearts of people that have been deluded in believing that these two words, honour and killing belong together, they don’t!

How many terrorists with ‘passports to paradise’ in their pockets set off to kill people believing these violent acts of vengeance will be rewarded by God.

GOD DOES NOT REWARD VIOLENCE OR KILLING!

New laws, education, social action can all facilitate positive change in our world, but truly sustainable change requires that human beings receive A NEW HEART FROM JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD.

For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” 1 Peter 3: 10-11

We need to pray for all souls on earth. We need to pray for Jesus to send His Holy Spirit to bring conversion and healing and change to the way we think and the way we act.

Please join Christians, all over the world, that are standing together in solidarity as we remember the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We unite daily, wherever we may be, at the Time Jesus died for us, 3pm and at this time we stop to thank Jesus for dying for us. We thank Him for paying the price of our sins and we pray that He sends His Holy Spirit upon us to silence the power of the evil one, ending violence and injustice, creating a world that learns to love and live in peace. We call this movement A Peaceful Revolution in the Name of Jesus Christ. We are standing for new beginnings and new hearts rooted in the infinite love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, One with God The Father and The Holy Spirit.  Believe in the power of our united prayer!