A Penitent Blogger on "Strategy"

A Penitent Blogger notes how the Lord makes use of the machinations of man to promote his agenda--salvation. Notes Penitens:

Eviscerate your enemy; don’t just defeat him – that was the idea.

A key element to this strategy was to liberate a significant segment of the defeated enemy’s workforce and to have that workforce extract additional economic assets with it.

That was the strategy: using socioeconomic and political methods to cement military victory.

In the end, it turned out to be just one part of a much larger strategy: Salvation History – for these geopolitical machinations led to the end of the Babylonian Exile and to the return of God’s People to the Promised Land, as we hear in today’s first reading (Ez. 1:1-6).

Cyrus, the King of Persia and victor over ancient Babylon, had his own reasons for restoring the remnant of God’s People to Jerusalem, but ultimately this mighty king was a pawn in the hand of God, even when he did not realize it

God can draw from our own indifference, selfishness and service to the Enemy his Grace to all willing to receive it. Even as we whine, demand and connive, The Lord reigns. How much greater fruit would the Kingdom bare were we the willing workers he calls to his vineyard?

Let us pray that we attend the small, still voice that is the call of our Savior. Let us bear the Light that shines in the darkness. Then we may know the joy we've already experienced, as those trapped in the night enter Jesus' peace at last!