“See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil” (Deuteronomy 30:15)

There is a beautiful passage from the Book of Deuteronomy that summarizes what Lent is all about. It reads:

“See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in His ways, and by keeping His commandments and statutes and His ordinances, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you this day, that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life that your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and clinging to Him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:15-20).

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“Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given to him” (Sirach 15: 17)

If you watched the Super Bowl this past weekend, you may have seen the halftime show that was hosted by the Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny. This halftime show featured a very positive celebration of the Latin American culture that in some parts of America has been under attack. A message that was proclaimed in the background through all of the broadcast was one that the performer had spoken earlier when accepting a Grammy Award. This message was and is: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.” Continue reading →