joined together

Thursday October 17^th, Luke 17: 11-13 It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"  14-16 Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." What!   Just show themselves to the priest!?!  The voices of humanity raise, those people have never done anything to deserve being healed.  We’ve tried that before and it didn’t work, I don’t believe in the priests’ authority and feel I can find God out in nature or out fishing.  I believe in God and all that but………..  I don’t put much stock in organized religion, and on and on and on…………………  Humans have a tendency to feel that God should only intervene in their lives in a special and personal and convenient and provable ways.  Then they have something to compare with others.  I can hear it now, “my personal intervention is better than your personal intervention” sort of childishness and just a new reason to fight and divide ourselves.  God has given us the gift of faith, and many different religions and faiths, so we all have an opportunity to connect with God in a way that is culturally relevant to us.  It is the human condition that turns these blessed differences into things like intifada’s, jihad’s, and born again rapture theology or evangelical theology that says my way or the highway.  Then again perhaps it is our human condition with a little nudge from Screwtape or Satan or some such.   Isn’t the essence of human brokenness after all, to put asunder that which God has joined together?