The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 9 February 2020

And now we have floods. Sadly, not in the vast inland, but on the east coast, on the Great Dividing Range and, happily, over some of the fire areas. And we still have some people trying to drive through flooded creeks and waterways. God sometimes must shake his head at the antics of his creatures.

And in the way of humans, we are set to have a number of inquiries and, indeed, a Royal Commission. I wonder if the truth will come out this time. I wonder if the opinion makers will listen to the truth of what happened on the ground.

I wonder…

The corona virus is grabbing the headlines, football (real!) is about to begin and Easter holidays are on the horizon.

When Matthew wrote “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world,” these  matters did not concern him. His preoccupation was the spread of the Good News which would take shape in his people in the form of “good works”.

The world has been very generous with consolation offers of assistance, personnel and works in need. But will we hear the truth?

One of our local farmers. who happens to be a Rhodes scholar into the bargain, is the local Captain of his fire unit.  In recent days he was interviewed for three plus hours about the devastating fires around Mallacoota. He remarked how the plans were formed and carried out, there was no panic in his area, people did what they were asked to do; concern, yes, but in his opinion no panic. The job was done well. His opinion hardly rated a line in the first programme. Truth was not reported, nor did it seemingly rate in the desire to have drama and panic.

In the current crises, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, the social media is able to distort and the public media seems to feed on it.

So, it is time for us who follow him who said, “The truth will make you free”, it is time for us to be “salt” and “light” and to make continued efforts to have the Truth spoken.

Let’s endeavour to be people of the Truth.

Mons Frank