“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees. When their buds burst open, you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near.” Jesus challenges us to look at the signs of the times to see the hand of God at work. For example, when we look at the passing of autumn into winter we can see that there are seasons and we are currently in a fallow season. We should not despair that it is winter but have confidence in the coming of the Spring. When we look at climate change we know that human beings are not being good stewards of creation. We must change how we use this world’s resources to create a more godly environment. Besides nature we can look at history. When we see that the demise of the Papal States we understand that the authority of the Pope is spiritual, not political. How about technology? When we see the instantaneous communication available to us we understand that we are all one world, God’s world and that we have obligations to one another. Religion? When we see how the thinking of the Church has developed over time — for example, the recognition of the immorality of slavery — we see that the faith is not a rock to be handed down from one generation to another but something alive that needs tending. What do you see when you look at the signs of the times?
