There are more than a few thoughts that arise from the experience of God, the experience of what it means to be Church, and the experience of mission – when it all becomes dark.
Taking a cue from Gerald Arbuckle, SM, some of these thoughts are Chaos, conversion, renewal, and refounding. They feel on target, relevant, and even urgent – particularly now that we begin to uncover, “life after Covid-19.
Salm 30:9-12 are prayers from the abyss that become the sure footing of hope.
To you, LORD, I cried out; with the Lord, I pleaded for mercy: What gain is there from my lifeblood, from my going down to the grave? Does dust give you thanks or declare your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, have mercy on me; LORD, be my helper. You changed my mourning into dancing; you took off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.
The Scriptures invite us to relearn, though painfully, two fundamentally constructive lessons about our experience of darkness:
- That we are humanly powerless without God’s abiding help and at the same time, the saving, the re-creative, and energizing power of God in Christ. We relearn to detach ourselves from overconfidence in our abilities to act without God.
- We reexamine how we live and transmit our faith. There is a need for refounding, not renewal. Renewal confines itself to polishing up methods of the past. Refounding focuses on the radical rethinking of our pastoral approach in the light of our contemporary age. This demands a courageous and creative leadership born of inner detachment from the reassuring, but now irrelevant, pastoral status quo and a skilled understanding of the scriptures.
Indeed, we are asked, as Church How can the flame of love grow strong again in a church that has become tired?
Where are the individuals with the generosity of the Good Samaritan?
Who have the faith of the Roman centurion? Or the daring of Paul?
Who are the faithful like Mary Magdalen!
We need unconventional people to take on leadership roles. Those who are close to the poor can galvanize young people by being willing to try new approaches. We need to be challenged by people who are fired by the spirit so that it can be spread far and wide.
Here at Our Lady of Soledad? YES, of course!
Father Francisco Gómez, S.T