Service of Love

No one who lived through the Cuban missile crisis will
forget the tension and gloom that overshadowed those days.
People were well aware that at any moment the brinkmanship
between the United States and the Soviet Union could erupt
into world wide nuclear war. By all accounts it was a close
call, but eventually the Soviet warships turned back and the
world breathed a huge sigh of relief.
One story has it that an American general advised the
President to go ahead anyway and order a nuclear strike,
arguing that the West would never be as prepared in the future
to face the Soviet threat. Fortunately, the general’s advice was
rejected!
In this weekend’s Gospel we also see rashness and
impetuosity. Jesus has been refused admission to a Samaritan
village, and James and John are so caught up in the heat of the
moment that in their fury they want Jesus to destroy the
village totally. Shades of the American general wanting to
initiate nuclear warfare, simply because his side is supposedly
ready for it!
The non-violent Jesus reprimands the disciples and walks
on until they find a more hospitable place. His power is to be
used in the service of Love! Jesus isn’t into dramatic gestures!
He wants only our good, our freedom, our happiness. He will
surely lead us onto the path of life, the fullness of joy in God’s
presence. Ask for the grace to follow his example!