Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit." (Lk. 6:39-45)
Atlanta-based New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Jamal Bryant is taking a firm stand by initiating a Target Fast. He is calling on people of color to refrain from shopping at Target after the company has failed to uphold its commitments to the African American community. Newsweek reported that although Target pledged support for Black employees and committed $2 billion to promote Black-owned businesses in 2021, it has recently reversed its position on these important initiatives. This kind of behavior from Target's leadership is unacceptable. If they cannot honor their promises, it is clear they cannot be trusted to support the Black community effectively. There is no way they can bear good fruit.
What interests me even more is the fact that we have a Black Protestant pastor willing to take a public stand against the injustice perpetrated by a major corporation. This reminds me of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which effectively shut down the transit system for 365 days.
I would love to see our Catholic clergy step out of the sanctuary and into the streets. We have participated in the Black Lives Matter marches across the country, so I wonder if our Catholic bishops and priests will join us in this effort. During this Season of Lent, will they preach about refraining from spending at Target for forty days? Why should we consume the fruit from a bad tree?
Jesus' final words in this parable should call each of us to reflect on our personal response to Marvin Gay's signature question, "What's going on?" Jesus said, "A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks."
What's going on in your heart? Do you see people creating positivity in the world today? Do your Senators, Governors, Mayors, and other civil rights leaders inspire confidence that goodness will stem from their future decisions? Is your Pastor contributing positively to the community? Now, here’s a big question: Are your friends sharing uplifting thoughts that remind you of Imago Dei, the Image of God?
Are you interested in producing good fruit? If so, consider applying for a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) position. In Latin, "DEI" means "God." When God hires you, you come to understand the significance of DEI in God's Kingdom. As stated in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, "There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone." Although we may be diverse in our backgrounds and appearances, the same Spirit, the same Lord, and God provide the spiritual gifts necessary to include all of us as God's children in His Kingdom.
"The LORD withholds no good thing from those who walk without reproach. O LORD of hosts, blessed the man [and woman] who trusts in you!" (Ps. 84:12-13).
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