Resurrection trumps evil.

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa wrote an Easter text which provides us with fruit for reflection. As you read the text, consider how it might come to life in your life by the way you think about things, especially during times of conflict and difficulty. See if your heart can open to the hope which the text offers. Here it is:

Goodness is stronger than evil;

Love is stronger than hate;

Light is stronger than darkness;

Life is stronger than death.

Victory is ours, through him who loved us.

Sometimes it seems like evil, hatred, darkness and death are getting the upper hand in our world and in our lives. But they are mere shadows when seen from the perspective offered by the Resurrection of our Lord. Shadows have no real substance; shadows are temporary; they are illusory like wisps and ghosts in the face of true life. Just consider the Crucifixion and death of Jesus: at the time He was hanging on the cross, it looked like evil had won the battle over goodness and life.

But those victories were illusions. Even during this time when there is much hatred and violence and turmoil in our world, what we witness in horror is not the final word in the evolution of the world. In the face of all that is happening, our task is to continue to life a Resurrection life:

Live and practice goodness.

Live and practice love.

Choose to live in light and to spread that light where you can.

Choose life in all of its aspects.

Consider, if you will, how it may be possible, in God’s grace, for you and me to apply and give witness to goodness, love, light and life. For each of us, the answer will be different. It might be helpful if you can think of people in your life who demonstrate each of these qualities. That would be a good start. From there, go on to claim the victory!

God bless you with goodness, love, light and life.

The Agony of Paris

A terrible thing happened in Paris this weekend. Hatred, violence, the killing of innocence, unmerited pain, fanaticism, self-destruction, terror and chaos.

If you can, sit with the weight of all this evil  while gazing at a crucifix, and behold Him Who drew onto himself the entire weight of sin and evil in the world.

Hold the pain and connect it with the crucifix, and stay with it for as long as you are inspired to do.

In your prayers, let every suffering soul and every grieving person be embraced by the crucifix.

And remember this: the crucifix is the gateway to the end of all pain, all violence, all hatred, all chaos.

All death.

* * * * *

A terrible thing happened in Paris this weekend.

A terrible thing is happening in the world these days, every hour, every moment.

Terrible things are happening in our country these days, every hour, every moment.

We cannot and do not hear of all of them. Few of them make the news or attract the attention of the media.

But still they are happening. And always, it is the crucifix that provides the only point of reference that makes it possible to bear the evil.

Even though it may seem impossible, or implausible, or unimaginable,

it is within the agony of the crucifix that is found  the seed of the end of it all,

and that seed will come to life.

And there will be peace. We will see glimpses of it. It will drown the darkness for all time.

And so pray,

     grieve,

          carry the pain.

                Allow the pain to gentle you and me that we may be no part of the darkness.

Pay careful attention to anything within you that may contribute to the darkness, even the temptation to think of righteous revenge. For when you think like that, you are infected by the same evil.

Pray. Grieve. Carry the pain. And give it over to the Savior the world needs so badly.

And let it end there. And let it begin there.