Almost 2,000 years ago, St. Paul wrote a letter to his fellow Hebrews that is an important part of the Christian Bible. In this letter he explained the significance of the mission of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who from one point of view was the Hebrews’ greatest product.
On this important day in history, where America seeks to turn a new page, it is crucial for humanity that peace come to the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.
Accordingly, it seems appropriate to repeat St. Paul’s message here.
St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews 5:1-10
Brothers and sisters:
Every high priest is taken from among men
and made their representative before God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring,
for he himself is beset by weakness
and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself
as well as for the people.
No one takes this honor upon himself
but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
In the same way,
it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest,
but rather the one who said to him:
You are my Son:
this day I have begotten you;
just as he says in another place,
You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.
In the days when he was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
I tried being a Christian when I was young but I could never come to terms with the idea that some are saved and some aren’t - it just doesn’t make sense to think that a god would operate like that. I’ve been much happier since I’ve given up trying to be a Christian. And these days I toy with the idea that Christianity and the bible were deliberately made up to enslave us. Those who want to enslave us have exposed themselves so much over the last few years - but haven’t these evil types always been around? They’re master manipulators - couldn’t they have got together and deliberately written such fantasies - putting together a tale that has fooled and misled so many for centuries? So they can get away with their evil all the more easily. I can commune with something outside myself - but I don’t think I could ever fully understand it or try to explain it to others.