So It Goes

How are you feeling these days? I don’t mean physically, but emotionally. These are anxious times and we are all trying to adapt to the new normal as best we can.

Take this morning, for instance. My wife was scheduled to have a partial knee replacement at 7:30 a.m. She should be in surgery as I write this. But, her surgery was cancelled since it is considered elective surgery. It is now scheduled for mid-June. All of her planning and pre-op preparation will have to be repeated. So it goes.

Each of us is dealing with the situation in his or her own way, and there have been some wonderful stories of people going out of their way to help those in need. There have also been some not-so wonderful stories. One of the saddest things I heard is that Asian Americans have been attacked, as if they were responsible for the Coronavirus. Another sad story is that gun sales have gone through the roof. I guess some folks are more concerned with protecting what they have rather than making sure we all have enough. So it goes.

I would rather focus on positive examples and so tomorrow is a very special day for me. March 24 is the feast day of Archbishop Oscar Romero. Romero is one of my personal heroes. He fought against injustice, poverty and hunger in his native El Salvador. And he did it not by carrying a gun, but by sacrificing his life.

Romero was martyred during a communion service as he elevated the host. He was shot through the heart by right-wing assassins who were provided with weapons by the United States. So it goes. Romero had to be eliminated because he spoke against human rights violations by the ruling class. These same people tried to discredit him after his death by calling him a communist, which he wasn’t. He was a simply a Christian who didn’t merely talk the talk, but walked the walk.

The most astonishing about him, for me, is that Romero knew that his work on behalf of the gospel would bring about his death. And yet, that didn’t deter him from speaking the truth and doing what needed to be done.

The conditions in which Romero found himself were far worse than those any of us will encounter. And yet, his faith allowed him to remain positive:

“I don’t want to be an anti, against anybody. I simply want to be the builder of a great affirmation: the affirmation of God, who loves us and who wants to save us.”

But, his positivity didn’t blind him to the realities of life. He knew that the Christian life is ultimately one of sacrifice:

“By contrast, whoever out of love for God gives oneself to the service of others will live, like the grain of wheat that dies, but only apparently… Only in undoing itself does it produce the harvest.”

To put it simply, Romero had moral courage, the courage to do the right thing no matter the personal cost. Moral courage is what we need today, but it has to come from more than one person. One person can’t do everything. We all must contribute however we can. Romero said:

“We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”

St. Paul reminds us that our lives are not our own:

“For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:7-8 NLT)

Right now, those showing tremendous moral courage are health care providers, emergency service workers, firefighters, police officers, grocery store workers, postal workers, the list goes on. I am encouraged by their example.

Jesus said “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25 NIV). That’s the great paradox of our faith: we find real authentic life by losing our stunted and selfish idea of life. Today, we need each other more than ever. So, don’t be a hoarder; give yourself away in the service of others. Your example will encourage others to do the same. So it goes.