blessings

America magazine has always been a blessing to me. The latest paper issue (2009Feb9) has a fine Faith in Focus article by Frank Moan on his experiences as a retired aging Jesuit entitled Finally, God's Voice. And the commentary on the weekly scriptures never fails to noteworthy.

And then there is the humor. The Without Guile cartoon usually brings a smile. I keep a copy of the one that had the devil going to a seller of lottery tickets and being asked

The usual?

(For those challenged by the question, answer this one

In common culture, what is the devil's favorite number?

)

This issue they have unintentionally outdone themselves.

• Between the article Fighting Poverty to Build Peace by the chairman of the USCCB committee on International Justice and Peace, whose last section is entitled A Call to Further Action
  
• and the interview Roots of Genocide with the special adviser to the UN secretary general for the prevention of genocide
  
• is a full page ad for $125 Thomas Kincaid thingy emblazoned with comforting scenes of affluent churches in rural area and the caption All things are possible with God.

The sword-to-ploughshare works are elsewhere out of site. What are the ethics of beating gold into righteousness?