the meetings of the minds
"Woe to those who plan iniquity, and work out evil on their couches." —Micah 2:1
At this moment, groups of very intelligent and gifted people are meeting to "plan iniquity and work out evil." International institutions and CEOs of giant mass media conglomerates are planning a "conspiracy against life." Pope John Paul II called this an "objective" conspiracy. It is not merely his or anyone else's opinion. He is not paranoid but facing the facts (The Gospel of Life, 17).
We Christians are also called to meet and plan. Though meetings are sometimes much maligned, nonetheless, those meetings conducted to the glory of the Father, under the lordship of Jesus, and in the power of the Spirit can be used by God to transform the face of the earth (Ps 104:30).
Before the first Christian Pentecost, the Lord led His disciples not only to have a prayer meeting but a business meeting (Acts 1:15ff). Peter led the meeting. He brought up some Scriptures and applied them to the need to replace Judas. The disciples in the upper room had to decide on how the Lord wanted His Church to be structured, the criteria for being an apostle, and the process of making this decision. After the work of this meeting, the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, and the Church was born. Meet in the Spirit, and receive the Spirit in new ways.
Prayer: Jesus, may every meeting proclaim that You are Lord (see Phil 2:11).
Promise: "In His name, the Gentiles will find hope." —Mt 12:21
Praise: George, a human relations consultant, had to preside over a tense meeting of management and labor at a company. George turned the meeting over to Jesus publicly, praying for a reconciliation, a peaceful solution, and peace. Jesus broke down "the barrier of hostility" (Eph 2:14) and an agreement was quickly and unexpectedly reached.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, November 29, 1997
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 2, 1997