What place, what state, is the birthplace of two
American presidents who
Served concurrent
terms?
It's a tricky question.
Because once it dawns on you how America had
Two
concurrent presidents,
You'll still probably be wrong about where they
were born.
The concurrent presidents were Abraham Lincoln and
Jefferson Davis.
A lot of people would say Abraham Lincoln was born
in Illinois.
Fr Gene's car, parked out back here, used to have
Illinois plates
And they carried the state's popular slogan, Land
of Lincoln.
If people associate Jefferson Davis with any state,
It's probably Mississippi or Virginia.
But both Abe and Jeff were originally from the same
place.
Born just 8 months and 100 miles apart, in my home
state—Kentucky.
Kentucky's state motto is United We Stand,
Divided We Fall.
We often feel a natural unity, an affinity, when we meet someone
And discover that we're from the same place.
But in the days of Lincoln and Davis we were deeply
divided.
And we certainly did fall—into bloody, destructive,
devastating civil war.
Today again, divisions in our country are deep and rancorous.
That Kentucky motto proclaims a stark warning—and an
urgent mission.
And it’s just an echo of Jesus’ words in today’s
Gospel.
Every
kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste
And house
will fall against house.
Someone has to drive out our demons.
Demons within us and among us, who stoke that
division.
They can be
driven out, as Jesus said,
Not by their own demonic, hateful tactics—but by the finger of God.
And now that Jesus has ascended back to Heaven, the
task falls to us.
We are this world’s
physically-present hands and fingers of God.
Jesus came into the world for the sake of unity.
For our 0neness with God, and oneness with each
other.
He came to reconcile us to one another and to the
Father.
He heals the wounds of sin and division.
He intercedes for us with our Father.
He’ll help us to be the blessed peacemakers.
Models of civility, respect, tolerance, and
understanding.
Models of temperate tweets and posts and verbal
comments.
Models demonstrating to the nation that we can all get along.
That as children of God,
We’re all from the
same place.
Friday, 27th Week in Ordinary Time
Lk 11:15-26 Read this Scripture @usccb.org
