Fourth Sunday of Easter
The events related to the gruesome bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon have just wound up. But the horror, the painful memories and the grief of those that were killed and injured will remain etched in the minds of the people of this nation for a very long time. No motive can justify the killing and harming of innocent people. To know that one of the three people killed in the bomb blasts was eight year old Martin Richard, and then to see him with a poster that said ‘No more hurting people. Peace,” is truly heart wrenching. Little Martin had come to see his mother finish the marathon. There is no appropriate way to describe the tragedy of this event. Over the past few months our nation has seen more blood, more sadness and more tears than we ever want to see.
Whereas the media was very helpful in identifying the suspects and their ultimate capture, the media also put all of us on the crime scene. We saw events as if we were present at the crime scene. Being able to view these events makes us feel personally involved. Last week when I was closely watching the events unfold on television, I was also going through the scripture readings in order to prepare this homily. The second reading gripped me as powerfully as the images on television. The last sentence of the reading from Revelation says, “… and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
There were two visions that were simultaneously playing out before me: the ones on the television screen and the one from scripture. It seems to me that the grief of this tragedy was so intense that only God’s healing touch could wipe away the tears. Perhaps, that is why President Obama and the entire nation gathered at Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston to for an interfaith prayer service. Often enough, we are sensible enough to look at the tragedies that we encounter and at the God who shows us another vision at the same time. And often enough, we also know that someday we will get from where we are to where we want to be.
Today, what I am setting out to do is exactly that - to keep one eye on our human condition and the other eyes on the vision that God has for us. Three things to think about:
1.In today’s gospel reading Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me.” The first thing to be aware when tragedies strike us is that we are not alone. We are Christians and we belong to Christ the good shepherd. Christ is with us in our darkest times. Because we know this, we face tragedies a little differently. We face tragedies standing at the foot of the cross. We are not a people that are oblivious of our origin, the reason for our existence on earth or our destiny. We, of all the people, face death and destruction knowing that they not the last words. As an Easter people we face all the humanity has to offer with faith in the resurrection. The hope of the resurrection is the last word. So we keep one eye on the tragedy of the human condition and we keep one eye the God who leads us from death to life, from sin to sanctity and from despair to hope. We face tragedies as a people of faith. We face life with the Good Shepherd.
2.Our faith in the good shepherd goes beyond the awareness of our identity as Christians. Jesus, the Good S4hepherd says to us today, “My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.” In the context of the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombings this means that we respond to this gruesome event in the way Christ teaches us to. We realize that the God we worship was himself the victim of senseless violence and prejudice. And so it is now that we must hear the shepherd’s voice; it now that we must follow the good shepherd. For me that means many things. It means that I do not allow my anger to turn into hate. It means that my desire for justice does not turn into revenge. It means that we do not find relief in triumphalism but rather administer justice with humility. It means that I do not become prejudiced, bigoted and xenophobic. It means that I still believe in love. It means that I find the faith and strength to “bless those who curse us and even pray for those who mistreat us.” This is what my Good Shepherd did and in the midst of my tragedy I must hear his voice and follow him.
3.It is when tragedies such as the bombing at the Boston Marathon happen that perhaps we become aware of tragedies all over the world. Hundreds of women like Krystie Campbell dies every day in bombing in Iraq, in Syria and in Afghanistan. Hundreds of peace loving children like Martin Richard have been killed in senseless violence all over the world. Sometimes because of terrorism, sometimes because of gun violence, sometimes because of drone attacks, sometimes because of sexual violence and sometimes because of pure selfishness, women, children, and men continue to die. For me, the senseless death of Martin Richard is as tragic as the death of a child killed in the bombings in Afghanistan or a child raped and killed in India. I guess what I am trying to say is that the tragedy closer to home should make us sensitive to all kinds of violence all over the world. As followers of the Good Shepherd we must pray and work for peace even more strongly, not just for our nation, but everywhere where innocent people are killed. As followers of the Good Shepherd we must oppose policies that begets more violence and stand with Christ who wipes away every tears from our eyes. When it comes to violence we must act not just as Americans but world citizens and more significantly, as Christians.
As we offer our worship, let us pray for peace.
- Fr. Satish Joseph