It is very easy to make excuses and blame others when our world comes crashing down on us. For sure, sometimes it is due to no fault of our own - strictly circumstances beyond our control. But often we are only bearing the consequences of the very poor choices we have made and the ways we have strayed from God's path. The lament in Daniel lays the blame for the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile in Babylon squarely on the shoulders of the Israelites themselves. Idolatry, infidelity, and injustice all came together at once and they must now reap the bitter harvest. Even then, however, there is forgiveness and the promise of new life and restoration after a time. Accepting responsibility and having a change of heart is the first step on the road to healing and recovery.

There is an old saying, 'What goes around comes around', meaning that our words and actions come back to us sooner or later. Jesus warns us not to judge others - if we do, we will be held to the same judgment. No one is morally qualified to judge another. Jesus also exhorts us to be real sons and daughters of the Most High by being just as merciful and loving as God is. No judgment; no preferential treatment; no conditions - just love, just like God. When we give up a sense of moral and spiritual superiority over others and begin loving, we will be at peace with ourselves and the world - and we will influence those around us.