The outcry is so great

The words of the Lord at the beginning of today’s first reading (Genesis 18:20-32) are ominous :

The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great,
and their sin so grave,
that I must go down...

On any given Sunday (and probably other days of the week), some preacher somewhere in the world is describing today’s culture as a modern Sodom and Gomorrah. There are usually good reasons for such an analogy, but the analogy also has limits and it has been so often used that many people no longer pay attention.

But there is another element of what the Lord says here that needs to be kept in mind, most especially in this day and age: the “outcry” associated with these cities and their sins.

On one level, this outcry may be the spiritual noise that sin introduces into the harmony of God’s creation. On another level, this outcry may be the cries of those victimized by these sins or perhaps even the cries of those outraged to witness these sins.

The question that then arises for us in today’s world of sin is this: where is the outcry?

Look at all of the terrible things being perpetrated in the world today. Where is the outcry?

Look at the terrible things that we do that would have justly been called immoral just a few decades ago. Where is the outcry?

Yes, we are sinners and unworthy to judge any other human being, but is that a reason to ignore or cover up the sin we do and the sins that surround us?

Do we listen to the soothing voices of temptation and rationalization more than the voice of a fully formed conscience?

By the grace of God, may we discern carefully and deeply and may we speak out prudently and truthfully.

May the Lord open the ears of our hearts and the ears of our souls, so that we may hear the outcry.