Down in the valley, when waters rise
I’m still believing
Hope is alive
All through the struggle and darkest day
I’ll remember the empty grave
This has been another bad week, in a long series of bad weeks here in the world. We’re reeling from the terrorist attack in Orlando. This is on the heals of Paris. And Brussels. I read today of the attack by Boko Haram in Nigeria, killing 24 people, mostly women. ISIS continues to thrive, and we’re in the midst of a presidential campaign here in the U.S. that is bordering on the absurd, and the hate, and anger that is raging between the two sides is staggering. You just don’t know what to say. You see and hear news everyday that leaves you completely dumbfounded at what is happening in this world. Can humanity sink any lower?
But it’s always been like this right? I mean, God sent His Son to save us from our sins, our atrocities that we commit. The first reading foreshadows today just what His Son would undergo here on earth. I find it interesting that the first reading mentions the plain of Megiddo. The word Armageddon, transcends from Megiddo, which is long held as the place where the armies of the earth will meet and the final battle, the end of times will take place. But what many people don’t realize is that this final battle, has already been fought.
Sure, there very well may be an end of times and a second coming and all that stuff that biblical and theological scholars a lot smarter that I propose. But you can really look at what Jesus did, the sacrifice He made for us – as the final battle. And guess what? We win. Thats what the first reading professes.
And so we look in today’s world with all the horror and terror – how do we deal with all the pain? We can think that we are at the end of days, and maybe we’re close. I’m not sure how we can turn this ship around without Christ’s help. But we bear the cross as Christ did, and have faith in Him that He will guide us through, that He will meet us where we are and help us to see past the things that divide us, and look towards those that bring us together.
And that’s really what the final two readings touch on – we bear our cross daily and follow Him. If we focus on Him, and not give into the world, but live a life of love and respect, we will be with Him in eternity. Just bear the cross, and never stop trying to do good, to be better, and to be a better Catholic. Even when we’re going through something, never stop receiving the sacraments. Let Him help you.
And paraphrasing Paul in his letter today, it doesn’t matter who we are. We’re all different nationalities, religions, races, skin colors. We’re all sinners. But we’re all people. We’re all people on the margins. And we are all a part of Christ. He created us for a specific reason, and He loves each and every one of us more than we can imagine. Yes we mess up. Yes, we do things that others may not like, or may be wrong – but we’re all people. God’s people.
Which leads me to those opening words. They’re from the song Remember, by the Passion movement. Listen to this song before reading on.
Seriously. Listen…
Down in the valley, when waters rise
I’m still believing
Hope is alive
All through the struggle and darkest day
I’ll remember the empty grave
This song just speaks to me so much right now. Maybe it’s all that’s going on in the world. Maybe it’s what’s going on in my life. Maybe it’s the love I have for Christ and our faith. Maybe it’s thinking about Christ bearing His cross for us, and then telling us that to follow Him, we much bear ours. Maybe it’s all of the above.
I listen to this song. I read the lyrics. I think about the sacrifice Christ made. The cross that he carried. I think of the crosses I have. I think of the crosses that others have across this world right now that are so much heavier than mine – in Orlando, and Nigeria, in Europe, in the plains of Megiddo and everywhere in between. I think of the struggles, the dark days in the valley’s, the pain. I think of all the uncertainty, and I think of all the senseless violence in my community and the world abroad.
But I still believe. I still have hope. I look at all those people – those people (many young) in that video – who attend concerts and events like that. No, it’s not Mass, but it is prayer. The grace of God is present and all encompassing. I look at all those people with their eyes closed, hands in the air praising God. Christians. Surely many Catholics. We as Catholics have the Mass and the Sacraments, but we need to experience more of this too. I think of the time in Philadelphia on the parkway when Matt Maher sang while we all waited for Pope Francis. All the people that go to events like the World Youth Day, and the World Meeting of Families. Unbelievably spiritual. Words can’t explain. Love and God’s grace abounds.
We need to come together as Christians. We need to live as Christians. The world has hope!
I think of the thousands, night in and night out who come to concerts and events like this. Millions over the course of a year. Perhaps it’s in waiting for someone like the Pope. Maybe it’s just a concert in your neighborhood. I think of the prayer vigils across the world, like in Orlando and in the places we don’t see on the news. I think of the dancing and joy in places across the world where according to society, there should not be dancing and joy. And when I picture all this in my mind – I am overcome. I feel the Holy Spirit and I know that amidst all the evil and pain and uncertainty in this world, that God is there. He is with us and filling us with His love. I have hope. I see all the good, the love in people. As bad as things can get, it’s the bad that brings out the best.
Just like when Christ was beat and crucified and died. The best thing imaginable came from that.
He brings us together.
I believe that He will lead us through it, and I remember, the empty grave. I remember that He bore the cross, but yes, He rose from the dead, and through that resurrection, all the evil and tyranny and hate and anger cannot stop us. We must simply believe, and have faith, bear our crosses, and be one with Him in our faith, and know that while we may not understand, everything is part of Gods plan – a plan we simply cannot comprehend. But it is perfect. It’s amazing.
So take this into your day, and your week ahead. Don’t focus on the hate and death and anger. Don’t focus directly on the crosses we bear, but focus on Christ reaching His hand out to help us carry that cross. Don’t focus on our differences, but as Paul said, He came for all of us. Focus on our differences like different flowers in a garden or a meadow. Our diversity is what makes us beautiful. He is here for all of us. Every single one of us. We’re all sinners. And while there are issues and areas where dialog and prayer need to occur, we need to first and foremost focus on the love and goodness of people, because it exists, and it is so more prevalent in the world, it’s just not what makes the news.
Focus on Him, for all that He did, and all that He continues to do for us. Hope in this. Hope in Him. Hope in each other. Remember what He did for us. And remember, the empty grave.
