Scripture Passage

Romans 12:9-19 NRSV

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

Reflection

Reading the newspapers, checking the headlines on our phones, listening to news programs on the radio, we may feel that things are going badly wrong. Indeed, we could sometimes get the impression that most people in this world of ours are violent thugs, drug pushers, abusers, terrorists or thieves. But from our own experience, we know this is not true, and hope is the best way to preserve our sense of the underlying goodness of God’s world. Perhaps we would do well to keep in mind the words of Julian of Norwich: “It is a characteristic of God to overcome evil with good”, believing, as she did, that God accompanies us on the journey of life.

We live in hope because we are aware of God’s nearness. This helps us to bear pain and suffering, or even, as Paul says, persecution, with patience, and to come through it without losing heart. Because of this trust in God, even when things appear to be going badly, we know that good will come of them.

It is said that one night, Martin Luther King Jr, at the height of his struggle for civil rights in America, felt completely overwhelmed. He and his family had received so many insults and threats that he felt he could not go on; he’d reached rock bottom. He threw himself on his knees and prayed: ‘Lord, I’ve taken a stand for what I believe is right. But now I’m afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership. If I stand before them without strength or courage, they too will falter. But now I’ve come to the point where I can’t face all this alone.’ It was in that moment of near-despair that a spark of hope was kindled in him, and he discovered in himself the strength to continue the struggle. Sustained by prayer, he was able to hope that, ultimately, goodness and love would triumph over evil and hate.

REFLECTION

‘Hope’, says St Augustine, ‘has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage: anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain as they are.’ Augustine calls both of hope’s daughters beautiful, anger as well as courage, for this is honourable anger, the non-acceptance of an intolerable situation.

Hope, he seems to say, is rightly angered by the wrongs and wounds of our broken world; it inspires in us the courage to take steps to ‘repair’ what is broken, to take care of creation, to bind up its wounds. We are not only the recipients but also the transmitters of hope as we pass on God’s touch to the people we meet.

Pope Francis, quoting from this passage in his book, The Joy of the Gospel, has this to say: ‘There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter… I understand the grief of people who have to endure great suffering, yet slowly but surely we have to let the joy of faith revive as a quiet yet firm trust, even amid the greatest distress.’