April 15, 2021
by Ronald Fussell
Creighton University's Director of Catholic School Leadership
click here for photo and information about the writer

Celebrating Easter

Finding Hope in the Easter Season

Easter Joy in Everyday Life

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we learn about the early experiences of a group of Jesus’s followers who ran afoul of the authority of the day.  These apostles were jailed for preaching in Jesus’s name, released, and brought before those same authorities on charges of preaching in the same way again.  Surely, for the apostles, they must have understood the dire consequences for going against the direction of the Sanhedrin.  But they did so anyway – with conviction – prepared to take on the burden of their decisions with courage and grace.

In reflecting upon the reading for today, my mind drifts to those moments when the easier path might be to find comfort in the structure and solace that authority can provide.  By leaning into authority, it is all too easy to excuse ourselves from discerning God’s plan for us.  The results can be tragic. 

In more contemporary times, it is readily apparent how the manipulation and corruption of authority can lead to great evil.  We only need to turn our attention to the horrific events of the Nazi regime in Germany, or racial discrimination in the United States, or even the horrific behavior of the guards at the prison at Abu Ghraib, to see how corrupted authority undermines God’s plan for us all.  The apostles in today’s reading provide us with an inspiring model of steadfast confidence in speaking truth to power, no matter the consequences.

It is easy to look at historical perversions of authority and convince ourselves about where we would have stood.  But, when we think about what is happening today, things get fuzzy.  Take some time to consider the social issues of the day.  Perhaps it is the crisis at the southern border.  Or, it might be the way that so many in the LGBTQ community are ostracized by society.  Maybe it is the racial discord and injustice that is still so prevalent in today’s culture.  For situations like these, we can ask ourselves, on what side of history will we stand?  Will we stand with the marginalized, the poor, and the powerless?  Or, will we stand in silence in the shadows.  I submit that like the apostles did 2000 years ago, we need to summon the courage to speak the same truth to power, challenging the systems of oppression that divide us.  This means weaponizing whatever privilege we may have to elevate those in society who are on the margins.

What is the true source of authority?  We only need to read on to today’s gospel passage to learn the answer.  But the one who comes from heaven is above all (John 3:31).  Jesus helps us to understand true authority’s wellspring.  And with this in mind, I pray that today’s scripture readings inspire in all of us the courage to remain strong in our convictions… even when it means summoning the strength to challenge authority when it is most appropriate, instead of standing idly by when our voice is needed most.