To Cry Out, ìNo!î

When a new parish church was built in an upper middle class suburb, Sunday mornings in the immediate neighborhood were no longer as quiet as they used to be …

The cars were noisy as members of the congregation drove into the church parking lot or parked in front of homes in the area. The powerful organ and the vigorous hymn singing could be heard a block away. Some of the nearby residents who liked to sleep through their Sunday morning, circulated a petition to curtail the noise.

When the petition was presented to a certain Jewish man who lived within half a block of the church, he refused to sign. ìNo,î he said, ìI wonít sign that petition. Those people sing as though they really believe that the Messiah came. If I could believe as they do, I would sing out even louder, and not just one, but seven days a week.î

There is a memorable Gospel Episode in which a certain Jewish man…