The Gospel of Life and the Gospel of Death

In "The Didache," which is a document of the very early Church (around 150 A.D.) it says: "There are two ways - the way of life and the way of death - and there is a great difference between the two ways." It goes on to set out the things of life and the ways of death.

I am struck today of how we in the Church need to return to a dynamic moral teaching, a moral teaching that arises from the truth of life and the love of life, and not from the fear of life. And, a moral teaching that takes a strong stand against the ways of death.

The ways of death are envy and haste and arrogance and self-seeking and hatred and unfaithfulness and lust and greed. The ways of life are patience and self-acceptance and love and forgiveness and simplicity.

I am sick of the ways of death and have increasingly realized that I have not been able to communicate the ways of life to many young people I have worked with over the years. More on this later. My dog needs to go outside.