Category: Announcements

Last weekend, I wrote about silence in our church, and the need to respect the Eucharist and others who are praying and listening to God. This weekend I would like to write about another silence. The silence of God when we pray.

I am not much of a moviegoer; however I recently went to see the movie SILENCE, directed by Martin Scorsese. This movie is based on a book written by a well-known Japanese Christian author, Endo Shusaku. It is the story of Jesuit missionaries in Japan in the 1600’s, and the hidden Christians that they encountered. If you get a chance, I heartily recommend this film. It gives a good insight into the torture and persecutions that the Christians endured. For more than 250 years, Christianity and all contact from the outside world was outlawed in Japan. The Christians that remained were forced to practice their faith underground; if they were discovered they were often tortured, even martyred. The film portrays the life of these heroic Christians, and the lives of the missionaries sent to them.

The “silence” that this film refers to is the silence from God when we pray to Him and seem to hear nothing. Those who were being tortured for their faith prayed, and it seems that God wasn’t listening. Time and again in the history of Christianity in Japan, believers were told that if they just renounced their faith, by trampling on a cross (called a fumie) they would be freed, escaping the horrendous torture awaiting them. Why did it seem that God was not there for them? Wouldn’t God help them in their moment of most need? One of the missionaries continues to see the haunting face of Jesus over and over again, the face from a picture hanging in the seminary where he studied. It is a face he loves and serves; but the face never speaks. It remains silent when the priest is chained to a tree to watch the Christians die, silent when he asks for guidance on whether to commit the trampling on a cross (fumie) to set them free, and silent when he prays in his cell at night.

Although the movie ends in seeming ambiguity, the author’s intent was to confirm that God is not silent; He does speak to us, just not always in the ways that we would expect.

Twenty-nine years ago, during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, George HW Bush called for a kinder, gentler nation. Although I may or may not have been a supporter of Mr. Bush, those words have always stuck with and I have tried to make them almost a motto for my life, my words and my actions.

Now, nearly three decades later, I think that this is even more necessary for our lives, not only in our nation (I am not here to write anything political) but in our daily lives, and even in our church. We need to be kinder to one another, we must be gentler in our words, actions and attitudes. Perhaps when I was younger, I might have been bolder, fiercer in pushing my beliefs around; to be honest, I don’t remember. Perhaps it is because of my life in Japan, where such aggressive attitudes are unacceptable, I have long ago come to realize that fighting with kindness is much more effective than returning with aggressive responses. I am not talking about political rallies and protests; I am speaking about our life, in our families, neighborhoods and church. There are groups and individuals who rarely have a nice thing to say, or a nice way of putting things. I am not a fan of the “in your face” mentality. Being kinder and gentler is easy on your stress level and blood pressure as well. In the Beatitudes, which we read during the Gospel last weekend, Jesus tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers” and “Blessed are the meek”. In a few weeks, we will hear the passage where Jesus says: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Strong armed tactics. Attitudes or self-righteousness and superiority. Words which cut down others, even those with whom we disagree. None of this should have a place in our lives. I am not speaking of warm, cozy and fuzzy feelings. We need not be running around hugging all the time; nor do we need to be sentimental, with tears welling up in our eyes. I mean, rather, a mature attitude of treating all people with respect. Of watching our words and actions carefully, rather than quoting the First Amendment to support the fact that. “I am free to say whatever I want…or however I want to.”

May we all strive to become kinder and gentler.

Fr. Ken