Thursday, March 25, 2010

Oscar Romero

If you've never heard of Oscar Romero you should check up on his story. He was an archbishop who died for his people in the front of his church....assassinated 30 years ago yesterday.

I was introduced to his story several years ago and found it incredibly powerful. One week before his assassination Romero spoke these words:

"No one can quench the life that Christ has resurrected. Neither death nor all the banners of death and hatred raised against him and against his church can prevail. He is the victorious one! Just as he will thrive in an unending Easter, so we must accompany him in a Lent and a Holy Week of cross, sacrifice, and martyrdom. As he said, blessed are they who are not scandalized by his cross.

Lent, thus, is a call to celebrate our redemption in that difficult combination of cross and victory. Our people are well prepared to do so these days: all that surrounds us proclaims the cross. But those who have Christian faith and hope know that behind this calvary of El Salvador lies our Easter, our resurrection. That is the Christian people’s hope."

I refuse to publicly endorse films simply because there is such a broad range of what is acceptable and appropriate. Without necessarily endorsing the film (as in "YOU NEED TO GO WATCH IT"), I found the Romero film to be quite powerful for me. Romero's story calls one to think about how we as Jesus followers ought to deal with (even fight) the evil and horror of our world.