GRACE: MILK AND WINE

Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

Isaiah 55:1 (read 55:1-9) NIV

"Civilization" is polluted by power. Its base is a power structure where inequality prevails in which only 1% of the world population has much more than the other 99% grouped together. The theory states that the power is needed to establish order and general welfare. We have lost the ability to imagine order without a power structure.

The human species has more than five million years of existence, according to archaeological studies. In the first 4.994,000 years of modern humanity, the social structure was on the basis of sharing without the accumulation of goods, without powerful bosses, without police or without armies. With the advent of the centralized state 6,000 years ago, a power structure was developed where stronger men began to exercise their domain over weaker men, women and nature. The Biblical story of Adam and Eve associated sin with power. Because of sin, Adam gained dominion over Eve.

Power corrupts - more power/more corruption, absolute power/absolute corruption. Those who are in power use power as a means to stay in power, barring others to rise and occupy their place. Power corrupts religion (church), government (state) and economics (commerce). All have their "chiefs" who will not give up their privileges. Power becomes privilege to be defended at all costs!

Milk and wine represent the thoughts of God's grace. The basis of grace is love, not power. Grace gives to everyone, independent of merits, conditions or circumstances. Milk and wine are good for people by giving profound and enduring satisfaction! They build and increase ones worth and well being.

Power is addictive, creating a "thirst" to acquire more power and pits us against each other. Grace sets us free and gives us strength to embrace each other. It satisfies the deepest longings of the soul. Selfishness and hunger for power make us create an almighty terrorist God who imposes himself and destroys his enemies. The religious expression is a closed aggressive and radical faith that needs to create enemies in order to justify violence.

In contrast, the faith of Jesus was the unconditional acceptance of everybody and the forgiveness of enemies. His God was not the capricious and vengeful Yahweh of the Old Testament. It was the "Daddy" who loves all humankind as daughters and sons. Jesus revealed his “Daddy” by the giving of himself to the point of being vulnerable and being put to death on the cross!

The international scenario is the result of the pursuit of power with wars waged against a fictitious world of good and evil. We are good. They are evil. Power is not the bread that satisfies. Goodness does not wage war. Those who incite violence never mention Jesus. Justified war is an illusion.

The world needs people who have the courage to go against the tide of history and express grace by following the example of Jesus. It's a dangerous walk because Jesus’ values are rejected, even within the community of faith by those who think they can "destroy evil" by force. The world needs the “the milk and the wine of Grace”.

ISAIAH 55:1-9 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

“Come, all you who are thirsty,

    come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

    come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

    without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread,

    and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

    and you will delight in the richest of fare.

Give ear and come to me;

    listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

    my faithful love promised to David.

See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

    a ruler and commander of the peoples.

Surely you will summon nations you know not,

    and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel,

    for he has endowed you with splendor.”

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake their ways

    and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.