WITHOUT KILLING HOPE
Jesus was a tireless creator of hope. His whole existence consisted in spreading to others the hope that he himself lived from the depth of his being. Today we hear his cry of warning: «Stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near. Be careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting and drinking and with the worries of this life».
Jesus’ words haven’t lost their significance, since even today we keep killing hope and damaging life in so many ways. Don’t think about those who are on the edge of any faith, who end up going about «eating and drinking, for tomorrow we will die», but instead think about those who call ourselves Christians and who can end up falling into a way of thinking not all that different: «let us eat and drink, for tomorrow the Messiah will come».
When we as a society have as our only objective to blindly satisfy our pleasures and enclose ourselves in our own enjoyment, hope dies there.
Those who are satisfied don’t really look for anything new. They don’t work to change the world. They aren’t interested in a better future. They don’t rebel in the face of the injustices, sufferings and absurdity of the world today. In reality, this world, as far as they are concerned, is the «heaven» that they have been aiming at for ever. They can give themselves the luxury of not hoping for anything better.
How tempting it is to keep going with the flow, installing ourselves comfortably in our small world and living peacefully, without greater aspirations. Almost unconsciously we find lodging within us the illusion of being able to obtain our own happiness without changing anything in the world. But don’t forget: «Only those who close their eyes and ears, only those who have become insensitive, can be sitting comfortably in a world like this» (R. A. Alves).
Whoever truly loves life and feels themselves in solidarity with all human beings will suffer to see that the greater majority still can’t live in a dignified way. This suffering is a sign that we are still alive and conscious that something is wrong. We need to keep seeking God’s reign and God’s justice.
José Antonio Pagola
Translator: Fr. Jay VonHandorf
