Feast of Saint John, apostle and evangelist
(I John 1:1-4; John 20:1a.2-8)
Once a
disillusioned pilgrim returned from the Holy Land lamenting the conditions he
encountered. Not only was there strife between Jews and Arabs, but
hawkers constantly besieged him with souvenir trinkets. Even in
Bethlehem, where Jesus was born on a serene night, he found conflict. The
man marveled at how times had changed since the serene night when the animals
crowded around the infant Jesus to give him warmth. However, he only had
to read the Scriptures closely to realize that trouble is nothing new to the
area.
Although the
Gospel of Luke depicts a tranquil setting for Jesus’ birth, there is much
evidence of conflict in New Testament times. In John’s gospel Jesus
conducts a running debate with the Jews who try to kill him. The Letters
of John report a feud between the community of the beloved disciple and a
secessionist group who apparently believed that morals do not matter. Of
course, there is the acrimonious debate between Jesus and the Pharisees which
is believed to reflect trouble between the first Christians and their Jewish
countrymen.
In spite of
all this conflict, the writer of the First Letter of John offers a testimony of
hope. Much more than a dream or vision, his testimony involves a living
human being whose countenance he saw, whose voice he heard, and whose body he
touched. We do not look to this one so much for deliverance from the
pressures of life. Rather we count on him for the courage to address our
problems with justice and justice.
