There is a scene in one of my favorite books, Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger where Zooey accuses his sister of a little apostasy. She objects to the saying of Jesus, “You are worth more than many sparrows.” All of creation is sacred from her perspective so why should human beings be worth more that bunnies, spotted owls, and, yes, sparrows. In modern lingo she accuses Jesus of being a speciesist — someone prejudiced in favor of homo sapiens. Guilty as charged, I think Jesus would say. Since every human being, even the most vile, has an eternal destiny, each person has a value beyond price. The late, beloved Cardinal Bernardin proposed we wrap everyone in a seamless garment of love because of that destiny.
JULY152017
By Church Staff
