In some corners of the Christian church today is marked as a feast in celebration of the life of Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdamez.
He is usually more simply known as Oscar Romero. He was archbishop of the Roman Catholic church in El Salvador. And he outraged many for speaking out on behalf of the poor, against poverty created by greed, as well as torture, and assassination as a political tool.
It was on this day in 1980, the 24th of March. He was celebrating mass. At the traditional pause for a sermon, he paused and delivered a meditation on basic human rights. The archbishop then returned to the altar. While saying the words of institution, as he held up the chalice the archbishop was shot.
He fell and the communion wine and his own blood mixed on the ground.
Forty-two years ago today. Today.
Not a bad moment for a little introspection.
I think the question, the real question for us all is how do we live in this world of suffering?
And I believe the answer is simple enough, although rather hard to do.
It has two steps.
First. We need to look into our own hearts. And this is no easy enterprise. Those who think otherwise have never actually tried. We need to witness ourselves, watch the currents of our minds and hearts. With as much honesty and courage as we are able to muster. We need to take our time in this project. We need to postpone judgment. We need to learn the mysteries of witnessing.
We can learn many things. Some of the great currents of love and connection. These are critical.
And we also see ourselves within that light which just shows what is.
What we can learn in this enterprise is frightening.
The murderer is you, is me. Our hearts are on fire with constantly rising anger, endless longing, and an ocean of self-serving certainties.
But that’s not the end of the matter. There is that other thing, the thing about love and connection. If we keep looking we also find how fortunately, blessedly, there is this more to us. We are also vast as all space, connected more intimately than words can say.
We are wildly intimate.
We are the murderers. We’re also the victims. And. And, this is so important. We’re also those who can do something about it.
And that brings us to the next step. Knowing all this, or at least on the road to knowing this, we are then called to reach out.
In small ways.
In bigger ways.
To act. To make some difference. To make the world just a little better for our having been here.
Does that seem too much to ask of a life?
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