March 14 weekend 2025 spirituality column

Chaplain Predicts Fire and Brimstone

 

Today's column comes straight out of ancient times. This is wrath-of-God stuff.  We are talking "Fire and brimstone, baby, right out of the Old

Testament cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

Nah, you know I'm messing with you. You don't read this column to get the hellish diatribe made famous by the televangelists.

 

These preachers often compare the "homosexual debaucheries" of Sodom and Gomorrah with what they see as the decline of America. They use it as a cautionary tale to ban books, define sexes, and shape elections.

 

It's funny how debauchery has often been a favorite of the judgmental crowd. But these preachers don't hold a candle to the combustible prophet Ezekiel.

 

You could even say, "This dude was totally lit."

 

However, he interpreted the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah far differently than our current politicians and preachers.

 

In Ezk.16:49-50, Zeke handed down a detailed indictment as he channeled the voice of God. 

 

"'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen.'"

 

"Did away" is a euphonism. God turned the residents into crispy critters.

 

Ezekiel saw this as a judgment day, not so much for sexual sins, but for very specific sins.

 

1. Arrogance.
2. Selfishness
3. Uncharitable greediness
4. Gluttony.
5. Apathy.

 

Seems to me that the crusty old prophet was clear.

 

Sodomite lives were cut short by fire and brimstone, not so much because of their debauchery, but because they lived selfish, lazy and gluttonous lives without ever extending their hands to help the poor and the hungry.

 

This past month, the US withdrew their hand of charity from hungry people when this Administration shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development, (USAID).

 

The first casualty of selfishness is always the hungry people of the world.

 

Consider the story of Plumpy'Nut. Goofy name, but a grand product to feed the world's hungry.

 

Plumpy'Nut is the brand name for a ready-to-use therapeutic food produced by Edesia, a Rhode Island based company, with USAID funding. It's life-saving paste containing peanuts, milk powder, sugar, vegetable oil, and vitamins and minerals.

 

Typically administered by charities like Doctors Without Borders, a severely malnourished child will consume packets every day for eight weeks to help them regain health.

 

Each box opened is stamped with "From the American people." But now the US is withdrawing that helpful hand and shipments of this crucial product are being turned off and on -- and back off again -- like a spurting hose.

 

William Lambers, author of "Ending World Hunger" voiced his concern last week in a Newsweek editorial.

 

"If USAID closes and funding decreases, they cannot continue to send this paste to the war-afflicted Congo and other countries. We should be increasing our shipments of Plumpy'Nut and other foods to war and famine zones. It makes no sense to shut down USAID especially during a time of massive humanitarian need."

 

Lambers' words resonate with the sermon Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde recently delivered before our 47^th president at the National Cathedral. "Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land."

 

This brave pastor said it much better than I, so I'll just channel the hellfire Ezekial and say, "The closure of USAID is a national sin. And that sin has every possibility of bringing a significant weather change."

 

On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio Trump officially canceled 83% of U.S. foreign aid contracts.

Do you feel a hot rain coming?

 

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More info on Edesia at WWW.edesianutrition.org

 

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All of Norris's books can be ordered on Amazon. Autographed copies can be obtained on his website www.thechaplain.net or by sending a check for $20 for each book to 10566 Combie Rd. Suite 6643 Auburn, CA 95602.