Our readings for Sunday included the fearful Hebrews' reverting to idol-worship and God's change of mind when Moses begs Him to be patient; Paul's confessing how vicious he'd been against Christians until God, in His patience, converted him; and the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Father Roger Allen focused in all three on fear and loathing of "the other," asking if we all think of ourselves as the precious lost lamb? He got a laugh when he spoke for the other ninety-nine. "Why is the shepherd putting so much care into that one lamb? The lamb was out of place, never followed the herd, and deserves to be lost."
But in his conclusion, Fr. Roger repeated a story worth repeating. God visits a faithful farmer and promises him three wishes, adding, "Whatever I give to you, I'll double for your neighbor." At first, the farmer is delighted to have his wishes for 100 cattle and 100 acres more land granted; but he is consumed with jealousy when the neighbor across the fence, who wasn't even involved with God, received 200 cattle and 200 more acres. So, for his third wish, the farmer says, "Strike me blind in one eye."
Fr. Roger concluded, "And God wept."
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