Sunday’s readings coalesce around the theme of making things new. Acts of the Apostles describes early disciples being missionaries, bringing Jesus’ new message to Gentiles. The Book of Revelation describes a new heaven and a new earth. In the Gospel Jesus is letting disciples know he is going to be killed. How will they go forward? He tells them,” “I give you a new commandment: love one another!”
Our knowledge of missionaries is likely informed by colonialism. European religious accompanied European soldiers across the oceans. Native people were dominated, plundered, and killed. The missionaries did not bring Jesus’ new witness. They brought Militarism’s old misery. Colonialism’s missionary theology continues. Catholicism’s new Pope Leo VIV (Robert Prevost) speaks of being a missionary, “Together, we must look for ways to be a missionary Church.” During his time as a missionary, Prevost was an instructor for professed members of his religious order, served as a judge in the Church’s court of canon law, and taught courses on patriarchy, the early Church Fathers. Prevost also traveled on foot and horseback between adobe mud-brick churches in the region and played basketball with the youth group. He was critical of the Peruvian military’s actions during the national conflict surrounding the violence of President Fujimori and the rebel group Shining Path. Threats were made to dissidents, including priests, who were told to leave or be killed. Prevost remained. Militarists expanding institutional Christianity is the exact opposite experience from Jesus’ witness and that of early disciples. Jesus, early disciples, and the people they met in their travels, were the Native people being dominated, plundered, and killed. Jesus and early disciples were moving through zones of military occupation. Everything they were doing was undermining Militarism and ridding the world of it. How? Among dominated people, they were reaching out in communion. Among people abused as enemies, they shared love. Among people targeted for violence, they brought healing power. Today’s Gospel emphasizes love. Love one another!
Are we, is this new Pope among the vulnerable loving people being targeted by the Militarists? Will we, will this new Pope undermine Militarism and help rid our world of it?
Prayer: Beautiful Spirit, empower us in making the love that is hoped for real.
Question: How am I helping to make things new in the U.S. zone of military occupation?
May 18, 2025 Gospel John 13:31-35 Fifth Sunday of Easter