Page 213 - Built For God Handbook (Annotated and Explained Edition) - The Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching - The New Evangelization - Pope John Paul II

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This chapter, entitled Judgment of God, might best be understood in the
light of an allegory. A Palestinian shepherd walks in front of his or her flock.
The sheep naturally follow the lead sheep, while the goats tend to line up
behind and follow the lead goat. In like manner, rather than God imposing
judgment on us, we will judge ourselves by the way we live. Those who
proudly and stubbornly choose and do evil in this life will not recognize a
merciful, compassionate, loving God in the next, whereas those who do
God’s will in this life will be welcomed home in the next.

The struggle to comprehend the mystery of evil in the world has beset
humanity from the beginning. Some of the mystics, who also struggled with
this dilemma, have discerned and taught that in the end, our loving God will
perform a deed ensuring that all will be well, and all manner of being will be
well.

The nature of that deed they rightly leave up to God, who alone triumphs
through seeming defeat. This God, whose first language is silence, is totally
other yet intimately present, and works invisibly within us.

There are many rooms in our heavenly Father’s house, we are told, yet
every hair on our heads is counted, and like a good shepherd, God calls
each of us by name. Our task is to respond to God’s love with faith, hope
and love, and strive to align our will with God’s will for us. We can then rest
assured that all will be well with us.

c
b
a Matthew 26:51-54; Luke 9:23-25; Matthew 5:43-48; Psalm 46:10-11;
d
e
f
Hebrews 11:30; Exodus 14:14; 1 Kings 19:11-12; 1 Corinthians 5:3-4;
John 3:8; Psalm 27:14; Psalm 33:20; 2 Peter 3:9; Isaiah 42:5;
h
g
i
Deuteronomy 10:14; Romans 14:10-12; Revelation 20:11-15; Nahum 1:3.