Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of El Salvador, was assassinated on 24 March 1980 while administering communion to his congregants. I am currently reading one of his books. On the first page, it is written: “The violence we preach is not the violence of the sword, the violence of hatred. It is the violence of love, of brotherhood, the violence that wills to beat weapons into sickles for work.” This is also the title of the book: The Violence of Love.
Romero’s message was nothing other than the message that you and I should preach and live daily. It is the message of love. However, it is far from a sweet and sentimental love message. It is a message of love unto death. Fearless love. A love that makes you stand up where there is injustice. A love that makes you stand on the side of the oppressed. A love that does what is right, even at the cost of yourself.
May I confess, I regret making this theme #Fearlessly Renewing. If only I had left out the word “fearless,” then it might have been easier to write. Then perhaps I could have written “pleasant” daily devotions about renewal. Spring blossom thoughts. But the #fearless changes everything. It’s like talking about “The Violence of Love.” It is love-unto-death. Like owing nothing to anyone except to love them (as Romans 13:8 says). Is there a greater gift you can give anyone than to love them, even when they are hostile towards you?
Perhaps the time has come to start thinking about #fearless. As Romero said: “Let us never tire of speaking about love. It is the only force that will overcome evil.”
PRAYER: Am I truly willing to love as You ask, my Lord?
ART: A mural of the assassinated Archbishop Oscar Romero in Panchimalco, El Salvador.
MUSIC:
We watch the lyric video of “More than Enough” by Fearless Soul.