Week 535–Hearts on Fire Feet on the Move–Mark Raue–The Common Good

Hearts on Fire Feet on the Move–Mark Raue–The Common Good (One of the great mysteries of Christian belief is that the all-powerful, all-knowing God of all creation knows and cares about the intimate dealings of each of our hearts. Complementing that mystery, though, is that whilst God knows and cares for each of us as individuals, our needs and wants can never be met at the expense of other people, or that we can justifiably live in splendid isolation, immune from the impact our choices have on others. My needs and wants must be balanced against the needs of other people, and in the end, what is ideally in the best interests of everybody. This is known as the principle of the common good. The Gospel implores us to focus on and give priority to the marginalised, the vulnerable, or the poor. The principle of the common good can be described as the sum total of the social conditions that allow people, either as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfilment more fully and more easily. So, individuals will thrive when the group thrives, and the group will thrive when individuals thrive. One depends upon the other.)