While traditional interpretation contrasts these sisters and their different approaches/attitudes about serving Jesus, modern scholars often tell us about the complementarity of action and contemplation, that one is not better than the other, but that each needs the other to produce optimal results: prayer leading to and supporting action, and vice-versa. As St. James says in his epistle, "I will show you my faith by my works" and "faith without works is dead." Ora et labora.
This makes me wonder about how some Filipinos can consider themselves religious and yet contribute to the destruction of our country and our people.
-Pinoys giving bribes, Pinoys taking bribes.
-Pinoys littering their candy wrappers, cigarette butts, tissue paper, etc.: while walking, riding the jeep/bus/tricycle, dropping or throwing trash out of a vehicle window, into the street, into the gutter, just about anywhere.
-Pinoys in illegal logging, and Pinoys buying logs from illegal loggers.
-Pinoys driving through a stoplight.
This list could go on and on with graft and corruption in government, self-serving politicians in Congress, tax cheats, etc.
I know I need to pray more and contribute more to my community, so I understand how others may find it difficult to be contemplatives in action, but I can't imagine how or why anyone would intentionally cause others to suffer. My favorite examples are tobacco industry executives and corrupt senators and congressmen. The tobacco industry manufactures a product that, when used as intended by the manufacturer, kills up to one half of all regular smokers. Senators and congressmen who use their position to acquire wealth and personal power at the expense of taxpaying citizens are no better than other murderers and plunderers. Yet many of them go to church on Sundays. God will judge and punish them in his time.
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