A Picture of Salvation

In the first reading for Mass today, the prophet Zechariah presents an interesting picture of salvation:

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women, each with staff in hand because of old age, shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. The city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets." (Zechariah 8:4-5)

The city which has received the salvation God offers displays the following attributes:

• People mingle freely in public
• People grow to old age
• Old folks have the support they need ready at hand
• Children play freely and safely in public
  

A society, or a church for that matter, if it wanted to examine its conscience on whether or not or to what degree it had accepted the salvation God desires to give (and indeed is just dying to give, literally), might examine itself on how it is doing on these points.