God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in Him may not die but may have eternal life
Universal Call to Holiness
As we begin this new Church Year, the Church focuses our attention on the Cross of Christ. Our calendar sets forth three weekends on which we are called to consider the wonder and mystery of God’s revelation to us through Jesus and His Cross, the instrument of His physical death. There is a weekend before and after the actual feast of the Exaltation (September 14th) on which we are called to consider the meaning of the Cross.
God has, in history, transformed the cross, once an instrument of death and ignominy, into a symbol of love, bravery, nobility and salvation. It has become the ultimate symbol of commitment to a way of living – to living like Jesus Christ lived. It has become the symbol that allowed Paul to say: May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through it, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world!
Think about Paul’s words. For Paul the cross represented a rejection of all the values of the world and a commitment to the values of God’s Kingdom. Christ could have seized power and devastated those who made a mockery of God’s revelation. Instead of fighting those who used power to force their will on others, Jesus quietly surrendered. He stood silent even before His accusers. In acting in this manner, He destroyed their power and revealed to humankind the appropriate way of living.
Some may raise the argument that, although God revealed to humankind how to live, few have embraced the Jesus Way and there is still injustice and war in our world. How do we deal with the tyrants and fanatics that are plaguing our world today? The “terrorists” have literally paralyzed our world and, in many ways, the Jesus Way of living. The big question for us is: How do we deal with extremists and fanatics in a Christian way? Do we just roll over and die? Do we use force?
I noted that our Ecumenical Patriarch Francis, Bishop of Rome, is attempting to wrestle with these questions. There is no easy solution. We have the example of Jesus Christ and we also understand the injustice that is being perpetrated on other human beings. There is no reasoning with fanatics, especially those who feel that it is their calling from their God to dominate the world and force all to their religion.
I don’t pretend to have an answer to these questions. I only pray that I might, in my own little way, attempt to live like Jesus lived, making His attitudes and behaviors my attitudes and behaviors. All I can do is attempt to be authentic in my living the Gospel message – the Good News!