A current news source says 鈥�11 Christians have been killed every hour for the past 10 years. Christians are martyred now mostly in Africa and Asia: Congo, Sudan, Nigeria, India, Iraq, and Syria.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 How do we live with these continued atrocities?聽 How do we continue to smile and proclaim the Good News without grimacing? It takes a great deal of Faith and humility, and a spirit of service to others.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 At his Easter Sunday Mass Pope Francis delivered his message and blessing聽to the World, stressing that humility is needed in order to enter into the Mystery of Jesus鈥� Resurrection, and he prayed for Christians being persecuted for their belief in Christ.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he world proposes that we put ourselves forward at all costs, that we compete, that we prevail,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut Christians, by the grace of Christ, dead and risen, are the seeds of another humanity, in which we seek to live in service to one another, not to be arrogant, but rather respectful and ready to help.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He added: 鈥淭his is not weakness, but true strength! Those who bear within them God鈥檚 power, his love and his justice, do not need to employ violence; they speak and act with the power of truth, beauty and love.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Noting the many regions across the globe riven by suffering and violence, especially Africa and the Middle East, the Holy Father implored the Risen Lord for 鈥渢he grace not to succumb to the pride which fuels violence and war, but to have the humble courage of pardon and peace.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e ask Jesus, the Victor over death, to lighten the sufferings of our many brothers and sisters who are persecuted for his name, and of all those who suffer injustice as a result of ongoing conflicts and violence,鈥� he said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Though sometimes seen as the cause of conflict, religion contains the seed of peace and hope. In his column 鈥淧rinciples for Interfaith Dialogue and Interfaith Attitudes鈥� theologian Ron Rolheiser enunciates ten principles about what is best in world religions:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 1. All that is good, true, and beautiful comes from one and the same author, God.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 2. God wills the salvation of all people, equally, without discrimination鈥� each religion is to reject nothing that is true and holy in other religions.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 3. No one religion or denomination has the full and whole truth.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 4. All faiths and all religions are journeying towards the fullness of truth.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 5. Diversity within religions is a richness, willed by God [Though God wills our eventual unity, He blesses our diversity].
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 6. God is 鈥渟cattered鈥� in world religions鈥� [which] all help to make God known.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 7. Each person must account for his or her faith on the basis of his or her own conscience. 聽聽聽聽聽
聽 聽 聽 聽 8. Intentionally all the great world religions interpenetrate each other (and, for a Christian, that means that they interpenetrate the mystery of Christ). 鈥od鈥檚 spirit blows freely.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 9. A simple external, historical connection to any religion is less important than achieving a personal relationship, ideally of intimacy, with God.
10. Within our lives and within our relationship to other religions, respect, graciousness, and charity must trump all other considerations. 鈥hat lies deepest inside of every sincere faith are these fundamentals: respect, graciousness, and charity.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 If we humbly seek to serve others, and pray and work for peace, we can live lives filled with love and hope.
