Posts Tagged ‘Love Conquers All’

A Little Love Goes A Long Way

Wednesday, May 29th, 2019

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

Acts 17: 25, 22B- 18:1; Jn 16:12-15

Deacon Larry Brockman

It was just too much for them, these Greeks.  As Paul addresses the Athenians, he talks to them about a different kind of God and it was just too much for them to take at one time.    First of all, it was so different.  These were educated people according to the Greek traditions.  They knew all about their gods; and they knew about other cultures and their gods.  They were tolerant of these other beliefs as the altar to the unknown god testified.  In a sense, they knew too much about these other belief systems.  Today, they would be called pluralists; those who believe that there is a little bit of truth in all faiths.  Such folks believe that God speaks in his own special way to all cultures and peoples.  So, there is value in listening to all and integrating everyone’s revelation.  Pluralists think it is arrogant for someone to proclaim that their religion has the answer.    

Paul’s words turned everything around on them.   Paul talked about how there was only one God, a God who was beyond all understanding; a God who made everything and everyone.  Such a God would supersede all these other religions that these folks studied.  They just didn’t want to hear that.   

Secondly, they did not have the proper disposition because their hearts were closed.  They were not capable of inspiration; not open to it.  The vanity of their educated status and their long line of traditions, made the idea of resurrection of the body absurd to them.  And so, they politely rejected Paul.  They told him “We should like to hear about this some other time”.  And so Paul left.   

We also live in a culture that thinks it has all the answers.  Our culture believes that mankind can control their own destiny.  Many teach that all creation can be explained without God; and that our science and technology has advanced to the point where we can forge our own destiny.  We can clone animals and people, they say.  We have genetically engineered this and that.  And they also scoff at the idea of an afterlife, especially a resurrected body.   

Now, the interesting thing is that the Christian message conquered the western world despite the arguments, smugness, and arrogance of the establishment of its time.  They conquered the world because of the love that the Christians displayed.  They conquered the world by speaking and living the truth.   

The tiny group of 12 men that gathered around Jesus and listened to the words Jesus spoke to them this morning in the Gospel changed the world forever.  Most of the 12, all but one, suffered martyrdom in the process.  But they had the peace that Jesus offered them in the process.  They had that peace because of the tremendous force that Jesus promises them this morning.  They had the energy, words, inspiration, and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  And so even when they were being persecuted, they were at peace with their God.   

This Easter, Father John gave each of us a little book to read.  I don’t know how many of you have read it, but the author, Matthew Kelly, makes a very strong point.  He advises all of us that we can respond to the Holy Spirit with Holy Moments.  We may not live holy moments all the time but we can be inspired to live holy moments at any time.  Our holy moments involve the inspiration we have to do something simple, yet extraordinary in our lives: to love unconditionally and unexpectedly for just a short period of time by helping a neighbor; doing something extra and unexpected.  And if we all live holy moments more often, that will make a difference.  Even the most arrogant and smug in society can be touched by the love of a holy moment just like they were 2000 years ago.   

So a good, sound, theological argument may fall on deaf ears, just as it did with the Athenians in Paul’s time.  It may be just too much all at one time for those who are disposed otherwise.  But a little love goes a long way.