March 2, 2003
Lent and Imagination
Words
on War
“And
what are we to say of the threat of a war which could strike the people
of Iraq, the land of the Prophets, a people already sorely tried by
more than 12 years of embargo? War is never just
another means that one can choose t to employ for settling differences
between nations. As the Charter of the United Nations and international
law itself remind us, war cannot be decided upon, even when it is a
matter of ensuring the common good, except as the very last option and
in accordance with very strict conditions, without ignoring the consequences
for the civilian population both during and after military operations.”
-Pope John Paul II
“We continue to find it difficult to justify the resort to war
against Iraq, lacking clear and adequate evidence of an imminent attack
of a grave nature... We fear that resort to war, would not meet the
strict conditions in
Catholic teaching for overriding the strong presumption against the
use of military force.”
--US Bishops
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Past Columns:
Feb 23: Sorrow Far and Wide
Feb 16: Saints
Feb 9: Columbia Lessons
Feb2: Giving At A Difficult
Time
Jan 26: Penny Power
& Catholic Schools
Jan19: Yet Another
Year
Jan 12: Stealing Jesus
Jan5: The Wise Still Come
From Afar
Columns from 2002
Could it be that the troubles that face us
are a result (among other things) of a lack of imagination? Church leaders
couldn’t imagine what would happen if they turned abusive priests
over to prosecution. (They feared “scandal” and did little to
change until things came to light.) Our current national leadership can’t
imagine a way to contain Sadaam Hussein without using our weapons of mass
destruction. CEO’s of corporations couldn’t imagine that their
lies would devastate the economic lives of the “little people”
who trusted in their leadership.
What would be like if we could go back a
decade and do-over our choices, only this time imagine our lives rooted
in Christ? Wouldn’t we then give up secrecy to boldly protect our
children? (""There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in
the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind
closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. “ Luke 12.2) Wouldn’t
we seek to exhaust every peaceable means to stop oppressive regimes before
we’d even consider committing our sons and daughters to battle our
distant brothers and sisters in other parts of the world? ("You have
heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute
you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:44).
Wouldn’t greed be replaced by care? ("Behold, half of my possessions,
Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over." Luke 19:8)
This Lent can be a time for holy imagination.
We can ask ourselves the question “What would Jesus do?”, we
can get to know Jesus more closely so we could share in the divine imagination
and act in ways that help and heal our broken world. Imagining our world
rooted in Christ leads us to hope. Living our lives rooted in Christ deepens
our faith. Expressing our lives rooted in Christ increases our love.
Just as we long for the snow to melt away
and yield to the warm growth of spring, so too we live in hope that the
coldness of fear, mistrust, violence and war will be warmed by a renewal
of life in Christ.
I look forward to living Lent together with you. Together we can imagine
our world rooted in Christ.
You are Person
