May we be strong in the face of adversity

To stand up to evil in all its forms is a heavy challenge. This is what Paul was asking of the members of various Christian communities in his letter to the Ephesians 6:10-20 which is our first reading for today. Here he says we should wear the belt of truth, have honesty or integrity as that armour which protects the upper part of the body. Our shoes tell of our eagerness to spread the gospel of peace! The helmets we wear represent divine salvation and we carry the Word of God as swords by our side. This kind of military imagery does not appeal to me. Nevertheless the challenge is to find ways in which to speak about our call to be strong in the face of adversity. Maybe it helps to reflect upon the nature of the evil we face in our world today. I think it can come in the form of abuse of power, exploitation of the poor by those who are excessively wealthy, and attacks against vulnerable communities – indgenous peoples, the disabled, the homeless, those dealing with mental issues, lbgtq+ community. It also includes disinformation spread by social media, racial discriminition and other forms of modern-day colonisation. The danger is that we can easily become overwhelmed. Maybe there would be people who, like the Pharisees in today’s gospel from Luke 13:31-35, try to convince us to look away or simply say or do nothing. As the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Leave this place because Herod means to kill you.” You may wonder whether you have the same courage as Jesus or Paul. Well, we may not always find the nerve to stand up sometimes. After all the apostles ran away when Jesus was arrested. It may be hard to find the right words to say or action to take or to make the right judgment as to who to follow. Still, we do the best we can when the time comes to speak the truth, to be honest to ourselves, and profess what we believe. Following the Our Father at mass, I say the words “May we be strong in the face of adversity”. We pray that we may sense the power of the Spirit giving us strength whenever we face the reality of evil in our world today.