A curious insight from the Book of Chronicles

   The title of this curious book of the Bible, the Chronicles, (347-420 C.E.) actually comes from St. Jerome who called them, "chronicle of the entire divine history." Scholars believe that the books of Chronicles are a rewriting of Israel's history from the perspective of the exiles after their return to the Promised Land. Generally speaking the Chronicles describe matters of particular interests to priests such as sabbath observance, liturgical rules, descriptions of various temple accessories and the like. Even though much of the content is identical with the history of Deuteronomy from such books as Samuel and Kings, one should note significant differences when it comes to the portrayal of Judah's kings. They are both depicted as fully faithful to God and should continue to be an inspiration for many generations to come. From their perspective, the Jewish exile into ancient Babylon were due to infidelity and disobedience to God's laws. The most intriguing part of this 'chronicle' is the person facilitating the return of the Jews to their Promised Land. Cyrus of Persia, a so-called pagan king emerges as a savior described by the prophet Jeremiah as "an instrument in God's hands." 
   So here's our curious insight: King Cyrus reminds us that God can accomplish great things through others we might deem "unusable" by our human standards. This time of Lent is a good opportunity to reassess the potential for greatness in each and every one of us. As St. Paul states, "it is by God's grace and not our own boasting that we can make a positive difference in the world!" Indeed, in the words of our Christian Scriptures, "God is after all slow to anger and abounding in kindness" and truly, much quicker to forgive than to condemn like so many of us.