In weakness, strength

Scripture references

• Hosea 6:3-6

• Romans 4:18-25

• Matthew 9:9-13

Reflection

The annual Relay for Life took place on Friday night at Laurentian University.  From the moment of arrival on the campus, any newcomer would be struck by the vast number of people who take part.  Seniors, young parents with their children, university students, teenagers, people from all backgrounds and nationalities can be found taking part either as volunteers or as participants.

The annual Relay, sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society, is a visible reminder that when all is said and done, people are people.  Cancer does not distinguish between the powerful and the weak.  It affects people of all ages, regardless of our degree of fortune.  The relay begins with a victory lap.  Those who are cancer survivors carry balloons as they walk one lap of the track, accompanied by their families and friends.  At the conclusion of the lap, the balloons are released and paint the sky with a variety of colours, symbols of hope and celebration for all those who have faced this disease.

As the evening progresses, a series of candles which encircles the track is lit.  There is one candle present for every person who has faced cancer.  Some of these have survived, but many have not.  The glow of candles is a fitting memorial to those who have fought the brave fight.

The Relay is a visible reminder that human life is very fragile.  In fact, life is often marked by a realization of weakness rather than strength.  Today’s gospel tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with Matthew, a despised tax collector who was just going about his business (Mt 9:9).  Jesus didn’t invite him to clean up his act.  All he said was ‘Follow me’.  Before long, they found themselves sitting at table with other disciples and with others who had been rejected by society.  The point is that Jesus doesn’t demand perfection.  He calls us all to do what we can to spread the good news, but we can only do so if we recognize our own weakness for knowledge of human weakness, not perfection, is the true source of recognizing the power, mercy and forgiveness of God.

The Old Testament recounts the age-old story of divine love that is constant and perfect (Ho 6:3-6) and the human effort, imperfect as it is, to measure up.  Perhaps we would be much wiser to admit that we can never love like God does, but we can always rely on him to be there, to pick up the pieces of our fragile and flawed efforts and to love us even more than we love ourselves.

There is little in this mortal world that is stronger than the human will to live.  Throughout our years, human beings face all manner of adversity, and somehow we find ways and means to overcome most of them.  This week, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization held a conference in Rome to discuss possible solutions to the ever-growing shortage of food for the poorest of the poor.  In Nigeria, there is talk of closing a seminary because the cost of food for the 500 seminarians who are there is proving to be prohibitive.

Knowing of such challenges, well beyond the magnitude of our own individual influence, we might be tempted to despair, but this is precisely where the virtue of hope comes in.  Hope was the source of Abraham’s faith (Rom 4:18).  Hope is the source of strength for those who choose to believe in the power of life, even in the face of death.  Hope is the source of our belief that our human efforts at bringing peace to a broken world can make a difference as they are brought to perfection in Christ.