Monday of the
Sixth Week of Easter
(Acts
16:11-15; John 15:26-16.4a)
Anwar
al-Awlaki was a Muslim imam who condoned terrorism. He has recently been associated with the two
men who perpetrated the bombing in Boston last month. His story underscores what Jesus says in the
gospel today about Christians being persecuted by people who believe that they
are doing the will of God.
Jesus' words
relate to the experience of the early Church.
Jews executed men like Stephan and James believing that they were
heretics. Of course, at least nominal
Christians have more than revenged the atrocities. In places and times of Christian majorities
Jews have been systematically traumatized.
For Christians such mistreatment is doubly sinful. After all, they not only profess a God of
love but a Savior who advocated turning the other cheek when mistreated.
Does this mean
that we are to ignore injustices done to us?
No, that also would be a misrepresentation of Jesus’ ethic. But we are to bear injury without overreaching
recompense by taking the injustices to God’s appointed representatives. In most cases this means the state which is
better equipped than the individual to make fair and indiscriminate restitution.
