LORD, HAVE MERCY
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is well known but little understood. Where Abraham grants lavish welcome to strangers and so, loves the neighbor, the messengers are threatened by the people of the city. The violence and cruelty to others is the evil (not homosexuality). We can ask, “How could God destroy whole cities?” God tells Abraham that if there are but ten righteous people in the cities they will be spared. Well, there are not ten, and so the question is also, “How can God not send judgment?” Evil cannot stand in the reign of God. In all of this, Abraham prays for mercy. Likewise, Jesus teaches us to pray for mercy upon our neighbors and the evil of this world.