"The name Saul means great one; the name Paul means little one. While making this film I learned that by changing one little tiny letter we can become great in the eyes of God, but it requires us to be little if we wish to be great. This is the way of saints, this is the way of the holy, and this is the way Saul became St. Paul."
~Jim Caviezel,
Student Leadership Summit (SLS18)
sponsored by The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
Student Leadership Summit (SLS18)
sponsored by The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS)
I start with this inspirational quote to set the tone for describing yesterday -- a day which began at Regal Cinemas with the movie, Paul, Apostle of Christ.
Now, this isn't a movie review, but I will say this: it's a quiet movie -- a contemplative movie -- and if you are going simply to "watch a movie" then, by Hollywood standards, you may not be entertained. But if you go to the movie with purposeful intention, to listen and learn about those early years of Christianity, to look within yourself and examine your own contribution to the faith, then the experience will be an altogether different one.
As it was for me. The movie put me in a place, a "come to the quiet" place which I can only explain like this: There is a scene in the movie of total bedlam -- Rome is burning, Paul is imprisoned, the Christians are being persecuted, killed, or thrown into Nero's Circus, and Luke and the Christians are debating whether to flee Rome, stay and minister, or take up arms and fight back. Then Luke, who stands strong on his belief in front of others but privately expresses his doubts to Paul, reminds them that Christ's love is the only way and then says, "We live in the world, but we do not wage war as the world does. Peace be with you."
Four words: Peace be with you.
There among the fires, fear, indecision, death and agony, there was peace. It was there. The early Christians may have had to dig through the rubble and roll aside the stones of fear, doubt, loss and feelings of abandonment, but peace was there.
Peace be with you.
A few hours after the movie we went to Mass -- Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion -- and as I entered St. Mary's and saw the crucifix and statues draped in purple cloth, I again entered into that quiet place from earlier. I also happened to be serving as Eucharistic Minister, and as I said the words "Blood of Christ" I felt the weight of those words ... of blood spilled for a peace that is not of man.
Peace be with you.
Later that night Joe and I watched a documentary on the 50th anniversary on the death of Dr. Martin Luther King. We saw the horrific photos of lynching and murder, we watched the hatred aimed at the black students in Little Rock and the beatings given to the Freedom Riders, and it was sobering to be reminded that here we are, two thousand years later, and people still kill -- for race, ideas, money, power, and fear of the unknown and different.
But you know what? Despite the images, I was still in that quiet place because even today, among the news stories of terrorist attacks, school shootings, intolerance and injustice, there is peace. We may have to dig through the news, roll aside the stones of race, political affiliations, assumptions and accusations, but the peace that can be found in Christ (who is himself our peace) is still here.
And this week, Holy Week, I want to come to that quiet and remain in it; I want to savor it, live and breathe it.
Peace be with you ...