There is a story told about a tiny group of Jews who survived by hiding in Nazi Germany during World War II. In their hiding-place, one of them said, “We must pray to God.” Another answered, “Yes, if we pray, God will find out that there are still a few Jews left in Germany.” A third added, “It is absurd to pray, for how can God be present in this kind of world?” This was less a question to be answered than a cry of desperation. A fourth member of the group said, “It may be foolish to pray, but it is still more foolish not to pray.”
There are times when we think our present circumstances are so difficult, the likes of which we have never seen. This, of course, is not true. The human family has constantly had to confront difficult stretches of time. We are not as exceptional as we think. Nonetheless, these present trying times are uniquely ours and so it is not enough to say “someone has been through this before.”
For the sake of perspective, let us remember that Jesus, the fullest revelation of God’s unfailing love, was rejected by many people and was not universally popular. Many refused to even hear His message. And yet, He sent out His first followers (and He has been sending us out ever since) to proclaim the Good News, the message of God’s life-giving love, whether it is welcome news or people will even listen to what we have to say. Let us pray, pray hard, pray without stopping, and not be deterred.
When Jesus suffered the ultimate rejection of execution on the Cross, He prayed, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” We are called to follow His example, to reveal the loving presence of God, regardless of how we are received by others.
