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Greetings, SBT Readers!
A frequenter visitor to the Maltese Islands, I notice changes on every visit -- often ones that sadden me, To see the beautiful countryside swallowed up by hotels and concrete blocks of flats
is hard and yet "progress" has to happen. With only 125 square miles, the islands need to accommodate a burgeoning population of 500,00+, in addition to over million tourists each year. This means building more roads, shopping complexes, entertainment facilities, etc. The price? Growing intensity, a fast-paced life and stress all-around.
Last night, as I waited at a bus stop in Sliema, an urban area on the sea which has become a hub for tourists, I was struck by the constant roar of food delivery motorcycles weaving in and out of the heavy traffic at top speed. Before the pandemic, I hadn't noticed this development but now it seems the delivery bikes are omnipresent. The riders are foreigners who risk their lives for little pay and the opportunity to hold work permits in Malta. There is so such traffic on the roads that I can understand
why restaurants would use motorbikes for food delivery but I am left with questions. In the first place, I wonder what the workers thought they were signing up for when they applied for work permits. Secondly, I wonder whether there any legal protections to govern their living and working conditions. Several years ago, The Times of Malta ran an article with the provocative title, "Dangerous jobs and exploitative working conditions put foreign workers at risk" (8/26/2019). Apparently, foreign workers are more likely to die on the job than their Maltese counterparts, especially in the construction business where lack of supervision, lack of training and lack of safety equipment have been compounded by limited communication skills. From what I have heard and observed, it seems Malta -- like many other nations-- has a growing subclass of poorly paid, poorly protected foreign workers. To me, this is more disturbing than all the fumes and noise emitted by those road-hogging bikes!
Many Blessings!
Elizabeth
SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Link to the Sunday Readings
Jesus told this parable to some who, convinced of their own righteousness, despised everyone else.
"Two people went up to the temple area to pray,
one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisee took his place and said this prayer:
'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity ---greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'
But the tax collector, standing at a distance, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast, saying,
'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted."
Lk 18:9-14
How do we stand before God? This seems to be the central question in Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. To Jesus' audience, the two characters were at opposite ends of the scale of sanctity. The Pharisee was religiously observant and would have strictly followed every aspect of the Law; for his part, the tax collector, by occupation, belonged to a class of people known to cheat, overcharge and harass those from whom they were collecting taxes, not only to enrich the Roman occupiers but also themselves. The shock factor in this parable is that Jesus indicates it is the tax collector and not the Pharisee who is truly righteous.
So how did both men stand before God? The Pharisee took his place with confidence and self-assurance. In his mind, he was one of the "righteous" whose praying, fasting and tithing guaranteed divine favor. He knew that anyone who looked at him would see someone who was an exemplary citizen with an impeccable character. Distinguished by his religious attire, he commanded respect and prided himself on his spiritual track record. The main issue, however, was not so much hubris but his sense of superiority. In fact, the more he despised sinners, the better he felt about himself. His ego thrived when he could see how sinful others happened to be. No doubt he assumed that God was also impressed!
As for the tax collector, he was not at all distracted by those around him. While the Pharisee was clearly surveying who else was praying, the tax collector focused only on God. While the Pharisee basically informed God of his own worthiness, the tax collector grieved over his sinfulness and begged for mercy. Was there a "backstory?" I wonder. Was the tax collector trapped in his unsavory occupation because he needed to support his family, or because he had debts of his own, or because the Romans conscripted him? If he "quit," would he have had any other options to earn a livelihood? If there was a "backstory," God knew every detail while the Pharisee was oblivious.
So how do we stand before God? Any confidence we have comes not from our supposed "perfection" but from the knowledge that God knows our story-- every motive, each extenuating circumstance, the struggles we face, the setbacks that come our way, the temptations that overwhelm us, the fears and desires that drive us.... And God, being a God of compassion, sees, understands and helps us breaks free from all that binds us.
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QUESTIONS
FOR REFLECTION
* What is YOUR "backstory," the influences and experiences that, for better or worse, have led you to become who you are?
* How do YOU stand before God? Are you more like the Pharisee or the tax collector?
* Why is judging others spiritually detrimental?
* How do YOU define humility?
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