Beloved Creatures of God

A parishioner recently sent me a link to an article about how companies today are posting job openings that are not real. Why would someone do this, you ask? The reasons are evil: to make it appear that the company is growing, to make employees believe that they can be replaced, and even to make overworked employees think they are going to get help. This shows a clear lack of concern for people as humans, and merely sees them as cogs in the machine of the business. If you know of a company like this, do not seek to be employed by them, and if you already are, look for a new job (yesterday!).

Anyone with a conscience would hear about this and ask how any business could be so heartless as to do something like this when there are so many people looking for work today. Yet, we should ask ourselves: do we do similar things? Do we do things for motives that are insincere or deceptive, treating people as objects to help us get what we want rather than treating them as humans?

When you see someone speeding and get pulled over by the police, are you pleased? You should be; but why? Are you pleased because someone got what they deserved? Or, are you pleased because justice was done? Or, maybe you are pleased because that person, and the others they are endangering with their driving habits, are now possibly a bit safer? Only the last one is truly a pure and holy motive. The other two are "using" the police to make you feel good about yourself.

Try another: St. George is a small parish, and I sometimes hear people ask about increasing the membership. Now, please understand, I am not against growing the number of members, but we have to ask: why do we want to grow? Is it because we want more money in the collection on Sunday? Is it because we want to feel good if we have more members than another parish? Or, is it because we want as many people as possible to be saved from an eternity in Hell, and to have as many voices as possible to worship God for eternity in Heaven? Only the last one is a pure and holy motive.

If we seek to "use" people to accomplish our goals (in any way) it is wrong. It is sinful. Whether it is a big corporation, a small parish, or just an individual, it does not make a difference. We must treat people like fallen humans, led astray by the devil, and in need of redemption by God. Every one of them has feelings, needs, and a memory of how others treated them. Every one of them can speak to God and ask for deliverance from those who abuse them. Every one of us needs to remember to "love our neighbor as ourselves" because our neighbors are the beloved creatures of God.