Dodging the bullet

this time...

Pictured: Bosch - "Last Judgement"

With today's foiled attack in the UK we may all consider ourselves fortunate, unless there is a back-up plan, and they have something else in mind. The local mystics would be correct in saying this one was mitigated by prayer and good old Scotland Yard. In some ways it has had it's effect, the airports are back logged and passengers are delayed big time.

Evangelicals are thrilled to no end thinking all the wars and rumors of wars are signs of the second coming of Christ. The prophets of doom in every religion are buzzing about the end of the world. Even Iran's president is happy, standing in expectation of some long awaited secret Iman, and Islam's world domination.

It's not just religious people who are nervous, politicians and governments are as well. There is definitely a world wide conflict going on, no one is safe any longer. Maybe our false sense of security is finally going to give way - yet to what?

Pope John Paul II is reported to have stated that no true peace will come about without supernatural intervention, and of course, a few months before he died he stated that an event was coming that would rid the world of evil. Both he and his successor have extended the olive branch of peace toward all religions, especially Islam and Judaism, often referring to the statements of Vatican II that foster a deeper call to mutual understanding and peace. Here is a section from Pope Benedict's address to young Muslims in Cologne:

"'The Church looks upon Muslims with respect. They worship the one God living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, creator of heaven and earth, who has spoken to humanity and to whose decrees, even the hidden ones, they seek to submit themselves whole-heartedly, just as Abraham, to whom the Islamic faith readily relates itself, submitted to God.... Although considerable dissensions and enmities between Christians and Muslims may have arisen in the course of the centuries, the Council urges all parties that, forgetting past things, they train themselves towards sincere mutual understanding and together maintain and promote social justice and moral values as well as peace and freedom for all people' (Declaration Nostra Aetate, n. 3). Check out Penitent Blogger for the entire address of the Pope to Muslim youth in Cologne in 2005.

I like Bosch's painting, it sort of looks like the chaos of our time, but maybe if people change...