Sunday’s Coming

Getting beyond as if (Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 112:1-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-12; Matthew 5:13-20)

The prescription for the persistent malady of God’s people

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For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

Some years ago, there emerged about as brief a rebuke as our language has produced: as if. A sort of shorthand version of "not only no, but hell no!"