For the next few days we will read from the prophet Isaiah — a major figure for both Judaism and Christianity so much so that at times he is referred to as The Prophet, capital P. The book of Isaiah opens with a denunciation of the religious practices of his time. The “word of the Lord” is that simply going through the motions of ritual observance does no good unless it changes the hearts of the practitioners. The yardstick that Isaiah proposes to judge the effectiveness of Israelite sacrifices is a renewed society. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. What was true then is true today. The Church does not exist for itself but to change the world.
JULY132020
By Church Staff
