767 ELM STREET * ROCKY HILL * CONNECTICUT 06067
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767 ELM STREET * ROCKY HILL * CONNECTICUT 06067 |
           
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I believe in the sun even when it is not shining, I believe in love even when I feel it not, I believe in God even when he is silent. This Irish saying was found scribbled on a wall inside a Cattle Car of a train that had just deposited its cargo of Jewish people at Auschwitz. How could anyone, knowing what awaited them at the camp, possibly have such faith in the midst of the darkness and terror of Auschwitz? I believe such faith can only be the result of a deep relationship with the often hidden and silent God, the Father or Abba of Jesus Christ. Such a faith can lead us through and out of our exiles of this life to a new life of freedom that fears not life or death. The “12” had a relationship with Jesus that had been developing for many months. When Jesus felt it appropriate, he sent them in pairs to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to call all to a change of heart in light of the Kingdom. It is a call to see things differently, from the point of view of Father of Jesus. Such will change our lives and the way we run our world. It will result in a vision borne of the compassion of God and the desire that all be saved and live in a world of justice and peace. For the “12” and for Jesus his sending them forth was a time of great excitement and promise, tempered by the realization that accepting such a mission would entail the need of being “lambs among wolves”. Accepting this mission to go out to proclaim the Kingdom entails some risks-it is “costly.” It may require that one, as St. Paul noted, “bear the marks of Jesus in one’s own body.” Such a challenge may cause a person to recoil, to lament, “This is too hard, unrealistic, I can’t do this alone! And that is why Jesus sends his followers out two by two! We are meant to respond to our call as individuals in community. The Lord knows we will need help, he did, why not us? We need companions on the journey to support, challenge, nurture, and guide us in our journey of faith. This sending forth of Jesus of his followers is a call to mission that calls people out of their exiles, imposed by circumstance or self-imposed. It is a call and summons to let go of our fears that come from the desire for absolute security in this world and to give our trust to the Father of Jesus in proclaiming the present and future Kingdom of God. In doing this one becomes a “new creation” and experiences a deep relationship with God that leads to a humble yet confident faith that compels one forward to the mission even in the darkest of times; even as one is heading toward Auschwitz. For us in our time this can manifest itself in many ways. Some years ago when I was teaching High School I asked a man to come and speak to my class about his activity of breaking into U.S. missile bases and trying to damage the rails on which a 25 ton concrete and steel door was atop a MX missile silo. He was arrested for his actions and he wanted to be, He was trying to make a point. He felt very deeply that such weapons are contrary to the Kingdom of God and he felt he had to try to make a statement that we are called out of our exile of nuclear fear and into the freedom of “beating swords into plowshares”. Some would say this was a very controversial act. Indeed it is. But the word controversial is derived from the word conversation; meaning to discuss something of importance with another. Some would consider such action as “crazy” or “treasonous”. But one can rightly asked, “Is it not crazier to have thousands of nuclear weapons on 15 minute alert years after the Cold War ended?” Can we live forever in this way? And as Jesus’ followers, guided by his Spirit, are we not called to help show the way out of this horrific exile of fear that has plagued the world since 1945? It is clear that Jesus did not request that we admire him, he sent us forth to be his co-workers to announce the Kingdom, to help make it present in a life that is lived seeing things from the viewpoint of the Father and acting accordingly. In this way, in this faith, we can confront the darkest of times and believe in the Light, so that we too can confidently confess: I believe in the sun even when it is not shining, I believe in love even when I feel it not, I believe in God even when he is silent. Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D.Min. Return to Saint James Home Page |