The Word Of Peace
Homiletic Reflections On Peacemaking

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."

M.L. King, jr.

" There's a legendary fisherman down in Louisiana who catches lots of fish. One day a stranger came to his cabin on the bayou and asked him if he would take him fishing. As they got into the boat; the stranger noticed the famous fisherman had no rod or reel--just an old rusty tackle box and a net.

After a while, they came into isolated cove surrounded by tall, massive oaks draped watched with interest as the fisherman reached down into the tackle box, pulled out a stick of dynamite, lit the fuse, and threw it into the water.

There was muffled explosion followed by the surfacing of a number of dead fish, which the fisherman proceeded to scoop up with his net. Whereupon the stranger pulled out a big badge and announced, " I caught you ! I'm the game warden. You know it's illegal to blow up fish !"

The fisherman didn't bat an eye. He calmly reached down into his tackle box, pulled out another stick of dynamite, lit the fuse, and handed it to the game warden, "are you gonna fish or you just gonna sit there?"

The words of Dr. King and this story direct us toward the central themes of today's Word--keeping hope alive amidst failure and disappointment, and choosing to act now, today in the Way of Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls us to enter through the narrow door. Not a door that is wide where masses are able to get through--but a narrow door. A door that can only be passed through by those who accept the Way of Jesus in engaging in the struggle to bring God's compassion and hope to the world. it means not sitting and watching, observers of reality and life, but rather, being participants with the Lord in helping others to see God's reign at hand and the promise of its completion as God's great gift to us.

That is the message of the prophet Is. to the people in exile ready for the new exodus to Jerusalem. God is doing something new, take heart ! In effect, God is reconstituting this people for their special mission as the "light to the nations". Through Israel all will come to know the true God. It is a message of promise, of hope that says "hang in there, get ready, just don't sit there, let's go!

This too is the model for our faithfulness to the way of Jesus. The letter to the Hebrews reminds us of that. There is hardship, there is struggle in life, and terror, and often this struggle and terror tests are faithfulness. How can one hope in the midst of life's realities ? How can one hope when bombs go off in Northern Ireland, Kenya, Sudan and Afghanistan ? Struggle seems to be so much of our lives that former Deputy Sec-Gen. of the United Nations, Brian Urquhart put it this way :

"Struggle is the essence of life. The problem is to draw a line between struggle, which is stimulating, and conflict, which is often lethal. Of the United Nations, which embodies the international effort to draw this line, Dag Hammarskjold said that, " the constant struggle to close the gap between aspiration and performance now... makes the difference between civilization and chaos. " If we tire of this effort, it will be at our extreme peril."

I think that is something of what Jesus is getting at when he talks of entering through the narrow door. I hear him saying to me, you must choose, must take responsibility for whether or not you are to be my disciple or merely a casual acquaintance who sat at table with me, but refused to follow. One indication of this following is a concern, a solidarity with all people, especially the poor, and all of creation ! For some this may mean working in a soup kitchen, for others living and working with the poor, for others working for policy change and structural change in the midst of great opposition at times. It means most of all not wedding my action and obedience to any other power or personality before my faithfulness to Jesus Christ--even if they be radio talk show hosts or million dollar athletes.

For us in our families entering through the narrow door as Christians means bringing the compassionate and healing presence of the Lord into our family life and carrying into the world. And certainly our world can use compassion in justice and peace in the Spirit of Jesus.

The heavenly banquet which Jesus refers to in the gospel is open to all of us, but we must choose whether or not we will accept it. Such an invitation serves as a warning and a hope. It is a warning that lip service is not enough, nor casual acquaintance with the Lord sufficient. Yet, there is a cause for hope ! God's grace can do so many extraordinary things.

Our yes to Jesus Christ is going through the narrow door. Even the little we do, or try to do, can yield more than we can imagine. I think that is what it means to be the last that will be first. That is, that we did not worry about being successful so much, as we committed ourselves to be faithful. In doing so we can echo the words of Dr. king:

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."

And speaking of narrow doors: St., V. Depaul's

Deacon Robert M. Pallotti, D. Min.
Uploaded January 14, 2000