Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Dianne BergantJanuary 17, 2005

Idealistic young people are not the only people who yearn to change the world. Committed social workers and politicians share that desire, as do scientific and medical researchers. Parents always say that they want a better world for their children. Teachers too seek to equip students with the skills they need to make a difference. Who does not want to improve circumstances? The question is not do we want to change the world? It is, rather, who is going to do it?

Probably the first people to whom we look for this change are world leaders. They are the ones who make the major decisions. They are the ones who establish our economic policies, who declare war, or who broker peace. They are the movers and the shakers. Or are they? Not according to Jesus. In the message he proclaimed on the mountain, Jesus maintained that it is the people who are poor, or sorrowful, or meek, or hungry for justice, or merciful, or clean of heart, or peacemakers who will change the world. They might have to endure persecution in the process, but they are the real movers and shakers.

And what do they do to change the world? Paul tells us that “God chose the foolish to shame the wise...the weak...to shame the strong...the lowly..to reduce to nothing those who are something” (1 Cor 1:27-28). They live their lives according to the unselfish standards of the Gospel with love as their driving force, not according to the ego-centered standards of a selfish society with personal comfort or gain as its driving force. And who are these people? They are the humble of the earth; they are the ones who seek justice. Some of them are indeed world leaders and politicians. Others are shopkeepers, cab drivers or firefighters; managers, artists or newscasters; students or retired grandparents. They are people who do what they can to make life better for others.

The readings for today show us once again that God does not conform to the standards of the world, but rather turns those standards upside down. The Sermon on the Mount sketches a way of life that might be deemed foolish by many, but not by those who truly love. They will recognize the Beatitudes as examples of love in action, love that they already show toward their own loved ones. The challenge of these beatitudes is the call to show this love to all whose paths we cross. As we live in this way, we do indeed change the world as the true movers and shakers.

The latest from america

March 17, 2024, the Fifth Sunday of Lent: As the church nears the end of this somber season, the Gospel of John ascends to a beautiful interpretation of Jesus’ approaching hour of glorification.
Victor Cancino, S.J.March 12, 2024
March 10, 2024, the Fourth Sunday of Lent: There are so many places of conflict around the world at the present moment. Each place yearns for peace, stability and the hope that someone will take responsibility. 
Victor Cancino, S.J.March 05, 2024
March 3, 2024, the Third Sunday of Lent: In a shift from landscapes in biblical theology, the Gospel of John considers the link between Jesus’ character and his final passion.
Victor Cancino, S.J.February 28, 2024
February 25, 2024, the Second Sunday of Lent: It seems that Abraham’s near sacrifice of his son is not the most radical thing to contemplate this Sunday. Perhaps it is the belief in a hopeful future even as we are flooded with messages that the world is falling apart.
Victor Cancino, S.J.February 20, 2024