Daily Reflections - February 12,2013

MORE RELATIVISM

 

A new feature of modern living that I have observed these days is the stylized hand sanitizer that dangles from the shoulder straps of ladies’ bags. It is an indication of how — in the midst of mutant viruses that plague our times — we seriously safeguard our health.

The Jews also valued washing their hands, but for another reason. They needed to maintain ritual purity, a very important part of their continued covenant with the All Holy God. It was a sign of their readiness to come to God in prayer and in offering. Whatever the case may be, both our modern hand sanitizers and the Jewish ritual washings deal with external cleanliness that can become a fetish for some.

Jesus’ words emphasize that what really matters is what is unseen, or the purity of our thoughts and intentions, and goodness rooted in the human spirit. While we easily condemn the hypocritical ways of the Pharisees and Sadducees, we ignore many times the fact that our own culture of moral relativism and neutrality is equally evil. Both lead human beings to live superficial lives, devoid of any genuine spiritual contents.

Moral relativism, while pretending to make every human being live with good human values and virtues, is really spiritual bankruptcy. It treats all human principle and reasoning as “all good — depending on....” Therefore, it really gives us no anchor in life. It is like building our lives on shifting sand. It thrives, however, in our world because of our wrong sense of respect for individual differences and the wrong modern interpretation of human freedom. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: What forms of externalism do you often encounter in your family traditions, in your community customs and in your Church celebrations? How have all these affected you? What moral principles do you hold as non-negotiable?

 

Jesus, grant me strength to remain true to Your values and not be swayed by moral relativism.