Jesus did not directly attack the political oppression of the Roman invaders, nor the socio-economic enslavement of his people, but he did undermine its foundations. He went to the root of the domination of some over others in order to awaken our consciences, and to urge our hearts to let go of our abuse of power and our structural violence. It took a few generations for the fermentation of his Good News to subvert the Roman Empire, but it did subvert it… In this way, the radically non-violent Jesus is more revolutionary than the revolutionaries!
The heart of the story is that his Father is JUST and MERCIFUL: a God bowed over us with His heart pressed against our sufferings. And He invites us to conversion: to choose to trust in Him, to believe in His infinite patience and mercy, in the radical benevolence of His Divine Providence.
Our conversion during this Lenten season is not primarily about what we do, but about what we think; how we imagine God. He tells us that, despite the appearance that the superficial and short-term are effective, it is the radical transformation of human hearts that has the power to change the face of the world. Do we believe it?
Spring is not only the right time for strategists to launch a military operation against our neighboring country; it is also our annual, resolute ascent towards Easter, towards death and resurrection. Joyful Lent – a Lent joy-filled in peace and in the determination for a just peace!
