The people praised David for his bravery in defeating and slaying Goliath. We know through scripture that King Saul was very jealous of David’s success and eventually sought to kill him. David had to run. But, in today’s reading, David is given the chance to turn the tide and slay King Saul. He refuses to do so. Instead, he takes Saul’s sword, then from a long distance, calls out Saul’s name and tells Saul that he could have killed him but would not do such a thing to God’s appointed king.
In the responsorial psalm we proclaim, “The Lord is full of mercy and grace.” Our Gospel today is a famous one emphasizing the need for mercy and forgiveness. “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” These words echo David’s actions on that day he encountered King Saul. Words like these may be easy to say, but are so difficult to live out in our daily lives. We look at conflicts throughout the world, in Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, in so many places and between so many of the major powers. I do not think mercy and forgiveness is top of our world leaders' agendas.
During my mission in Tanzania, I traveled to different countries. Some of these, at the time, were not friendly to the United States nor to Christians in general. This was the case of the Sudan in the 1990s. I went there to visit our missioners stationed in the country. I arrived in Khartoum with some trepidation. I met a man from southern Sudan who was working in Khartoum but residing outside the city in a camp designated for men from the southern part of the country who came to work in city factories. Many of these workers were Christians. This man was also a catechist. The police arrested him and shoved him into a crowded cell where the men could not even sit down. They then interrogated him, trying to make him deny his Christian faith. He would not do so. This went on for days. Then finally they threw him into the back of a police car, took him out of the city and threw him out of the vehicle. Thankfully, although hurt and bruised, he was able to return to the camp and continued to serve as a catechist.
This story was in stark contrast to my everyday experiences during my trip with the Muslim people of Khartoum. One day, I got lost while walking around, and I found the courage to ask a policeman for directions. He kindly pointed the way for me. I boarded a crowded bus and several young men stood up just to offer me a seat. It struck me that most people are people just trying to get by, day by day, working to put food on the table, to take care of their loved ones, and live in harmony with neighbors. I found this to be the case in all of my visits to different countries over the years.
In our hearts, whatever the religion, whatever the national allegiance or political stance, we know that the Lord is full of mercy and grace. And it is our vocation, as followers of Jesus, to look upon others as God looks upon them. Our Gospel from Luke today states it very clearly: “Give to everyone who asks of you...Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Photo of men hugging near truck, Khartoum, Sudan, 2008, by Rita Willaert via Flickr.