For those of you who live in the United States, and are old enough to remember the sixties, you might remember among all the chaos of that turbulent time a sort of subset of “hippies” known as Jesus Freaks. They were portrayed in one of my favorite movies and plays, Godspell. These were young people who gave up everything in order to follow and proclaim the message of the Gospel, often through poetry and music. In fact, many believe the origin of contemporary Christian music stems from these self-proclaimed Jesus Freaks. While much of the protests of that time focused on the Vietnam war, this group unashamedly spoke the message of Jesus to anyone who would listen. They were truly counter cultural.
In researching for this reflection, I came across a book called “Jesus Freaks: The Stories of Those Who Stood For Jesus. The Voice of the Martyrs”. The book highlights the stories of those who proclaimed the message of Jesus in spite of the risks, and paid the ultimate price. There is the story of the young girl at Columbine High School who was shot dead after she answered in the affirmative that, yes, she believed in God when her executioner asked her. Or of Preveen, a young Pakistani girl who was killed after she refused to marry a Muslim man. And Anila, who was put in prison for helping her friend try to escape. And we are all aware of the story from Easter Sunday of the hundreds who died or were injured in Sri Lanka when churches were bombed.
Then we look at today’s reading from Acts. Peter and John had just cured a crippled man in public for all to see. The chief priests and scribes were convinced that they had solved this “Jesus Problem” with the crucifixion. But they were mistaken. Instead they were facing the beginning of an explosion of disciples who could not help but speak of what they knew to be true. That this Jesus, who the Jewish leaders and the Romans had put to death, had risen from the dead, walked among them and returned to heaven during the Ascension. They KNEW this to be true.
And how do WE know this to be true? Well, one way is to look at today’s Gospel reading. Mary Magdalene TOLD the other disciples that she had seen Jesus. The disciples who met him on the road to Emmaus TOLD the Eleven they had seen Jesus. As well as the story, not related in today’s readings, about Thomas’ unbelief when the eleven told HIM that they had seen Jesus. It took Jesus appearing to the eleven directly in order for them to believe.
But when they did believe, there was no stopping them. This group could only be initially characterized as being doubters, a group that stayed in hiding for fear of being found out and people who were sure that their world had come crashing down on them as a result of Jesus being crucified. But this is not what we see in Acts. John and Peter cannot be silenced. They take on the Sanhedrin. When they are told to stop talking of Jesus in public, they respond by preaching the Gospel to priests and scribes. They directly accuse them of killing Jesus.
Think about this. They were essentially telling, what is the equivalent of the Supreme Court of the United States, that they were going to do what they had to do regardless of what they were being told. What changed? Just about everything. Their confidence was as striking as had been their fear. And the only thing that could explain this transition is that they had seen the truth. They had SEEN the resurrected Jesus. In the flesh. With their own eyes. How could they deny this FACT? People ask, “How can you be sure that the resurrection took place?” This is the best evidence I know. If the disciples had not seen Jesus risen, would they have risked and sacrificed their lives for a lie? In fact, all but John would die a martyr’s death.
But as amazing as are the lives and sacrifices of the apostles, what we are seeing from contemporary martyrs is even more amazing. These people sacrificed their lives for a man that they did not see directly. For a concept that has been relayed over the centuries. They believe without seeing. Only one who is absolutely sure of the truth of the Resurrected Christ is willing to risk their life by proclaiming their belief in Christ and can accept death as a result of this belief.
Shahbaz Bhatti was a Christian Pakastani politician who was murdered by the Taliban in 2011 for his beliefs. Father Ragheed Ganni was a Chaldean Catholic priest in Mosul, Iraq when in 2007 he was walking from church with three of his deacons when the group was stopped by unknown armed men. One of the gunmen shouted at Fr. Ragheed that he had warned him to close the church and demanded to know why he didn’t do it. Fr Ragheed replied asking “How can I close the house of God?” The gunmen ordered the woman to flee. Then after the gunmen demanded that the four men convert to Islam, and they refused, the four were shot down.
While we may not by faced with death because of our faith, proclaiming to the truth of Christ can have its consequences. I recall applying for a position at an animal hospital a few years ago. The interview was going very well and the clinic administrators took me to lunch. Before I ate I said the blessing and made the sign of the cross. Things got much more tentative after that and less cordial. I didn’t get the job. About 4 years ago I was at a wedding for a cousin’s son. One of my other cousins revealed a short time before this that he was gay. It was something we had all been aware of for many years but he confirmed it. I made a point to meet with him to reassure him that I still loved him and it would not affect our relationship. But I began the conversation affirming my position as a Catholic that homosexuality was sinful. Maybe not a good way to lead off the conversation but I followed by letting him know that it would not change how I felt about him as a cousin. He has not spoken to me since.
I have a sense that the day is coming when we as the Church will face a time when we will be made to choose secular values over our faith. When we will be told to compromise our belief in the truths we hold or be faced with loss of the Church’s tax-exempt status or possibly imprisonment of the clergy and laity. Will we succumb to these demands and compromise our faith or will we, like Peter and John, stand up to the Sanhedrins of today and say, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
