am I guilty for George Floyd's death?

Homily

Solemnity of Pentecost A

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas

31 May 2020

AMDG +JMJ +m

Am I guilty for George Floyd's death?

The quick answer is no.  It's not my fault.

The right answer is yes.

There's a piece of the evil that fell on George Floyd's neck,

that could have fallen on mine instead.

Beyond all the takes, angles, politics and emotions surrounding another horrible part of 2020,

there's a piece of the evil that fell on George Floyd's neck,

that is meant to be suffered by me instead.

Let's get right into it, then.

There's an portion of the evil that is in the world,

that is destined to fall on me.

An evil that sometimes I don't choose, 

but other times I do.

an evil that is just part of the way things are.

An evil that I cannot ultimately avoid.

Many evils I can avoid, and should. - by being careful, safe and prudent -

Jesus escaped a few times himself, living to fight another day.

Other times he spoke up and called evil out!

There were times he confronted demons and healed natural evils,

fighting back with force.

But the greatest evils? The moral ones?

It was those that he suffered.

The greatest evils are defeated by victims,

those who take in and absorb evil willingly,

who transform it by mercy,

by drawing closer to enemies,

by forgiving those who persecute,

by enduring wrongs with love and perseverance.

The greatest evils are defeated in just this way.

Jesus shows me how, then trusts me to do likewise.

This is Jesus' paschal mystery,

defeating evil with mercy,

brought to fulfillment in His Church at Pentecost,

It's Jesus mission, and His way,

sealed and strengthened in His mystical body the Church,

by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit

Does anybody out there think that 2020 needs a fresh outpouring of God's Holy Spirit?  I sure do!

Come Holy Spirit, come!

In your 7-fold gift descend!

This Pentecost more powerfully than ever!

For 2020 has me not knowing what to do or how to live!  This year is crazy. It's awful.

I need wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel to see, feel, think and decide as God does.  I need to receive and celebrate life and relationship with God through piety and wonder.

But most of all I need a new, big refreshing mammoth dose of courage to live dangerously.

Because Jesus' Spirit kicks me out of the locked room of my fear

and dares me to go into the heart of evil and transform hate with love.

Come, Holy Spirit of courage, come!

This Pentecost refresh my frightened heart!

There's nothing wrong with being careful, safe and prudent instead of reckless.

Yet it does not replace the necessity for living courageously!

If there's anything we've learned in 2020,

it's that distance and isolation may preserve existence,

but in the end they define death.

For separation is unequal, and avoiding each other is what ultimately kills.

The Holy Spirit beckons us to draw closer,

for only reconciliation, togetherness and relationship beget life!

There's an evil inherent to life that we cannot avoid.

There's a danger inherent to life that we reject to our own peril.

So Jesus calls his disciples beyond being careful and safe.

And sends His Holy Spirit in the hope that we,

his mystical body, would be the most courageous heroes the world has ever seen.

the willing victims of an evil,

that can only be defeated and transformed

by Divine Mercy.

Is there a piece of the evil that fell on George Floyd's neck,

that only I can suffer, swallow up and transform by love?

The easy answer is no.

The right answer is yes.

Come Holy Spirit, give me the courage to seal and strengthen this witness that Jesus has entrusted to me!

Come Holy Spirit, Come!