What are we willing to die for?
The next day it was
necessary that a group of us go into Istanbul for supplies. Riding through the
streets of the city it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn’t thought twice about
doing what I was ordered to do but when given the choice to go to mass I had
passed. It suddenly dawned on me that I was willing to die for my country (by
the mere fact of being in the Armed Forces) but that I wasn’t ready to die for
my faith.
Jesus is faced with a trick
question in today’s Gospel posed by those who hope to discredit him. He is
asked if it is lawful to pay taxes. If he says yes he would be supporting the
Roman occupation, if he says no he will be showing himself to be a terrorist.
Jesus says neither, but rather asks to see a coin.
He examines it and asks his
questioners whose image it contains. “Caesar” they reply.
“Give to Caesar what belongs
to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God.”
“We are God's money,” Saint
Augustine says. The image of God is imprinted upon our souls. We belong to God.
