A boy sat on a park bench loudly exclaiming, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!" A university graduate asked the boy about his joy. "I just read that God led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle of the Red Sea."
The man laughed and said, "Science has shown that the Red Sea was only 10-inches deep at that time." The boy thought for a while and exclaimed, "Wow! God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead Israel through the Red Sea, but He drowned the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!"
What keeps us from the simple joy of the evangelical boy in this story? In the face of this world's problems can we be still and know that God is there for us (Psalm 46:10)?
In the face of crises in the Middle East, protests and revolt in sub-Saharan African nations, and the earthquake in Japan, our faith in a loving God may be daunted. We want to know that God still loves us and is creating beauty on this earth.
God came to earth to experience our suffering, to sanctify it, to redeem us. How is this happening in Japan?
How can we live the truth in the statement: "The life of a Christian Steward, lived in imitation of Christ, is challenging, even difficult in many ways; but both here and hereafter it is charged with intense joy" (Stewardship A disciple's Response, U.S. Catholic Bishop's Pastoral Letter, p.21)?
The power of Christ needs to be viewed in time and in eternity. The act of the Cross touches us more forcefully today than it did most of those gathered around the cross on that obscure hill.
If we can glance back through history and glance ahead through salvation history, we will see that what caused our physical death or when we left this life on earth is not that significant. The fact is that we did.
The millions who died in war or natural disaster, like the rest of us, will be gathered around the throne of Glory or celebrating the great banquet with Christ our host.
Let me illustrate with a modern counterpart to the thief crucified with Christ who received the promise of heaven that same day: "God and his son, Jesus, await me in a better place, so I can look forward to the time when I go home, when I will be free again" writes death-row inmate David Paul Hammer of Oklahoma.
"God forgave me the second I asked him to," David says. "God has removed hate, anger and bitterness[and] replaced these feelings with love, peace and commitment."
Jesus came to offer himself for us and to share our suffering. Jesus alone can touch the inner restlessness and longing of our hearts. There is nothing that we cannot put into His hands so that our burden will be lighter. This makes it possible to bear even what we see on our global news channels.
We need to have a light heart as we travel on our pilgrimage. Jesus said to the seventy disciples and to us: "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpionsNothing will hurt yourejoice that your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:17-20).
