Trust issues are pretty common:
“You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself.”
― Marilyn Monroe
“I trust no one, not even myself.”
― Joseph Stalin
“Don’t believe your neighbor or trust your friend. Be careful what you say even to your husband or wife. In these times sons treat their fathers like fools, daughters oppose their mothers, and young women quarrel with their mothers-in-law; your enemies are the members of your own family.”
― Micah 7
Today’s Reading is from Micah 6:
“God has told you, O mortal, what is good”
This short line looks so straightforward but it has a couple of profound insights:
1. We need to be told what is good, we cannot do that ourselves!
2. We need to be willing to listen, which more often than not we don’t do!
Micah sure thinks so: The LORD says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are one of the smallest towns in Judah, but out of you I will bring a ruler for Israel, whose family line goes back to ancient times.”
Many references are being made to this prophetic vision, e.g. Isaiah or Micah:
“He will settle disputes among the nations, among the great powers near and far. They will hammer their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will never again go to war, never prepare for battle again.”
The United Nations have a statue using this image:
Wikipedia has a list that shows the dual-use nature of technology, which does not always clearly convey the intention of the phrase nor how it is used today:
– Radar was initially developed for detection of incoming bombers
– The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed under the United States Department of Defense for military navigational purposes.
– Roman roads were designed for the rapid transport of troops
– the Autobahn was originally conceived and put under construction as a means for German artillery to get across Europe during WWII.
Today’s Reading is from Micah 3:
“The city’s rulers govern for bribes, the priests interpret the Law for pay, the prophets give their revelations for money—and they all claim that the LORD is with them.”
Sounds awfully familiar: