I find the Eastertide readings difficult. Although they speak of burgeoning faith among individuals and communities, as well as miracle upon miracle, there is great persecution and many new believers are put to death for their faith in the resurrected Lord.
And yet, despite the grimness of the readings, they speak of joy even in the face of death: the joy of an intimate encounter with Christ, the grace of living and moving in the Spirit, and the hope of eternal life that sustains us in the midst of suffering.
The shock waves from the two bombs that went off during the Boston Marathon almost two weeks ago are still reverberating around the world. As I grieve for those wounded so heinously by the two pressure cooker bombs that exploded metal pellets and nails into the surrounding crowd killing and permanently maiming them, I also pray that this act of hatred does not ripple into hate crimes and acts of retaliation against family members of the bombers, and people of who share their ethnicity, culture or religion.
Instead of allowing anger to destroy or divide us, we must construct a new way of life, one that recognizes our shared humanity and breaks downs fences of prejudice and fear in order for us to dialogue and find a common ground where we can share our collective lives.
Violence on the scale of the Boston Marathon bombings hurts not just those who were present, friends and families of those injured or killed, the friends, family and community of the Tsarnaev brothers, but it is a hurt perpetrated against the city of Boston, the North American continent and indeed, the whole world.
Such violence changes all of us. We become more fearful, more inward looking, and more mistrustful, judgemental against people who are different, not like us. Hatred has just received a huge power boost, keeping it alive in the world. This is a grievous crime against humanity.
The only way forward is to live out the Easter message of forgiveness as lived out by Christ's early disciples (much like Stephen who forgave those who were stoning him to death). To combat hate, we each need to be messengers of transformation through peaceful and loving means.
Instead of merely hunting down the roots of dissidence and eradicating them, we need to seek ways to ensure every young person on the planet grows up with a sound moral compass to guide him or her through life. The surviving suspect is just 19, we need to ask ourselves what motivates a 19 year old to commit such horrific violence?
We need to reach out to our youth, the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the abused, and look for ways to integrate them into society, to hear and acknowledge them, giving dignity to them.
What about our children? Born and unborn, they are the most vulnerable and the greatest at risk group, victims of adult selfishness, perversion and neglect. Abortions born out of irresponsibility. Online child predators, molesters and rapists (of five year olds no less, truly abominable). Parents who exploit their own children, objectifying them for selfish purposes (think child beauty pageants).
Do we care if our children, our youth, know the difference between right and wrong? Do we worry that they are so filled with hurt, anger, hate or indifference, not knowing how to love, how to be kind and generous?
We should, for they will be running the world one day when we are old and feeble. If we wish to leave behind a worthwhile legacy for our children, we must invest in their emotional and spiritual welfare. We must help them become men and women of integrity and hope.
Every adult needs to teach every child we meet the virtues of honour, honesty, generosity, diligence, patience, tolerance, compassion, courage, self-control and humility. We need to give them faith and hope in humanity by teaching them to be fully human, to love one another as Christ has loved us as it preaches in today's Gospel passage.
We can each start, leading by example. Be more patient with people who are old, slow or seemingly stupid.
Be more forgiving of those who are brusquely rude, insult or wrong you, and just generally push all the wrong buttons.
Be more empathetic towards those you dislike and even find hateful.
Be more hospitable to strangers.
Be more giving, kind and compassionate to those who need understanding or help.
Be more honest in your dealings with others instead of only seeking to score one for the home team.
Going one step further, do you take the Gospel message of service seriously, even when you know you are going to be repaid poorly, ridiculed and even discriminated against? Or do you hug all that you have been given, focusing instead on building your own little stronghold of like-minded clones?
Every human being deserves to be loved and accepted, to be able to grow in freedom to be the man and woman he or she was created to be. When circumstances do not foster loving affirmation, when families are fragmented and no longer safe, nurturing and enlightening environments for youth to develop, we are all in danger of becoming narcissistic, voracious takers who thrive on malice, darkness and lust.
We become less and less human in our self-imposed isolation as we live in worlds of alternative realities. Without moral bearings, we easily become bombers, serial killers, Sandy Hook-like shooters who mow down the most innocent of beings.
As we approach the end of the Easter season, we are reminded that this world we live in can be a new creation, one as intended by God, despite the darkness that surrounds us.
So even if we are persecuted for living out what we believe to be true, good and beautiful as Christians, we should still forge ahead for Christ is always with us, and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth is ours.
And even if the world clamours for blood to bring about justice, we must ask for a different manner of justice, one that tempers it with mercy and love.
Let us cultivate the spiritual gifts that have been given to us in baptism and confirmation and be more apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic so that we can bring to world healing, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, encouragement, faith, and most of all, miracles.
Good has triumphed over evil in the miracle of Christ's resurrection, thus good can triumph over evils such as the Boston Marathon bombing.
Let us each make it our duty to effect miracles that celebrate the Easter spirit.
Live Easter.
And yet, despite the grimness of the readings, they speak of joy even in the face of death: the joy of an intimate encounter with Christ, the grace of living and moving in the Spirit, and the hope of eternal life that sustains us in the midst of suffering.
The shock waves from the two bombs that went off during the Boston Marathon almost two weeks ago are still reverberating around the world. As I grieve for those wounded so heinously by the two pressure cooker bombs that exploded metal pellets and nails into the surrounding crowd killing and permanently maiming them, I also pray that this act of hatred does not ripple into hate crimes and acts of retaliation against family members of the bombers, and people of who share their ethnicity, culture or religion.
Instead of allowing anger to destroy or divide us, we must construct a new way of life, one that recognizes our shared humanity and breaks downs fences of prejudice and fear in order for us to dialogue and find a common ground where we can share our collective lives.
Violence on the scale of the Boston Marathon bombings hurts not just those who were present, friends and families of those injured or killed, the friends, family and community of the Tsarnaev brothers, but it is a hurt perpetrated against the city of Boston, the North American continent and indeed, the whole world.
Such violence changes all of us. We become more fearful, more inward looking, and more mistrustful, judgemental against people who are different, not like us. Hatred has just received a huge power boost, keeping it alive in the world. This is a grievous crime against humanity.
The only way forward is to live out the Easter message of forgiveness as lived out by Christ's early disciples (much like Stephen who forgave those who were stoning him to death). To combat hate, we each need to be messengers of transformation through peaceful and loving means.
Instead of merely hunting down the roots of dissidence and eradicating them, we need to seek ways to ensure every young person on the planet grows up with a sound moral compass to guide him or her through life. The surviving suspect is just 19, we need to ask ourselves what motivates a 19 year old to commit such horrific violence?
We need to reach out to our youth, the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the abused, and look for ways to integrate them into society, to hear and acknowledge them, giving dignity to them.
What about our children? Born and unborn, they are the most vulnerable and the greatest at risk group, victims of adult selfishness, perversion and neglect. Abortions born out of irresponsibility. Online child predators, molesters and rapists (of five year olds no less, truly abominable). Parents who exploit their own children, objectifying them for selfish purposes (think child beauty pageants).
Do we care if our children, our youth, know the difference between right and wrong? Do we worry that they are so filled with hurt, anger, hate or indifference, not knowing how to love, how to be kind and generous?
We should, for they will be running the world one day when we are old and feeble. If we wish to leave behind a worthwhile legacy for our children, we must invest in their emotional and spiritual welfare. We must help them become men and women of integrity and hope.
Every adult needs to teach every child we meet the virtues of honour, honesty, generosity, diligence, patience, tolerance, compassion, courage, self-control and humility. We need to give them faith and hope in humanity by teaching them to be fully human, to love one another as Christ has loved us as it preaches in today's Gospel passage.
We can each start, leading by example. Be more patient with people who are old, slow or seemingly stupid.
Be more forgiving of those who are brusquely rude, insult or wrong you, and just generally push all the wrong buttons.
Be more empathetic towards those you dislike and even find hateful.
Be more hospitable to strangers.
Be more giving, kind and compassionate to those who need understanding or help.
Be more honest in your dealings with others instead of only seeking to score one for the home team.
Going one step further, do you take the Gospel message of service seriously, even when you know you are going to be repaid poorly, ridiculed and even discriminated against? Or do you hug all that you have been given, focusing instead on building your own little stronghold of like-minded clones?
Every human being deserves to be loved and accepted, to be able to grow in freedom to be the man and woman he or she was created to be. When circumstances do not foster loving affirmation, when families are fragmented and no longer safe, nurturing and enlightening environments for youth to develop, we are all in danger of becoming narcissistic, voracious takers who thrive on malice, darkness and lust.
We become less and less human in our self-imposed isolation as we live in worlds of alternative realities. Without moral bearings, we easily become bombers, serial killers, Sandy Hook-like shooters who mow down the most innocent of beings.
As we approach the end of the Easter season, we are reminded that this world we live in can be a new creation, one as intended by God, despite the darkness that surrounds us.
So even if we are persecuted for living out what we believe to be true, good and beautiful as Christians, we should still forge ahead for Christ is always with us, and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth is ours.
And even if the world clamours for blood to bring about justice, we must ask for a different manner of justice, one that tempers it with mercy and love.
Let us cultivate the spiritual gifts that have been given to us in baptism and confirmation and be more apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic so that we can bring to world healing, mercy, wisdom, knowledge, encouragement, faith, and most of all, miracles.
Good has triumphed over evil in the miracle of Christ's resurrection, thus good can triumph over evils such as the Boston Marathon bombing.
Let us each make it our duty to effect miracles that celebrate the Easter spirit.
Live Easter.
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