Today’s gospel consoles me with the truth that division and persecution are not new. It can be easy to think that the pain and tumult of our own complicated times and places are a radical departure from how things have been. For better or worse, such is not the case. This is not in any way to minimize the real and profound suffering many people experience, but to assure us that our time and place is not alone.
I was recently present as a prayerful witness to an ICE raid here in Omaha. The desperation of family members trying to reach their loved ones was palpable. Those detained that day were not violent criminals, but people who had worked hard, some for decades, in my own city. They are people who raised families, paid taxes and were trying to create a better life for their children. Some had probably entered this land of opportunity in irregular ways outside the legal structures, others may have had legal status that became compromised by policy changes (such as the termination of Temporary Protected Status). This calls to mind Jacob’s descendants, who had once been accepted in Egypt before being enslaved. Most of those caught up in this Omaha raid were flagged for misuse of Social Security numbers. This “misuse” allowed them to work, pay taxes and contribute to Social Security funds into a system which they would not be able to benefit. 76 members of our Omaha community were zip tied, loaded into a bus with blacked out windows and taken away to unknown locations. Sheep in the midst of wolves does not seem an overstatement as I looked at pictures of petite, motherly women being herded by large, masked men to an uncertain and fearful future.
Looking at our gospel for today one could make the argument that their persecution was not because of their faith in the Lord. However, what stirs in my heart as I read today’s readings (especially the psalm) is that the pursuit of freedom, justice, and the dignity that comes from one’s labor are indeed Kingdom values. In any case, our gospel today is clear that the political authority of the world will sometimes be in conflict with the exercise of faith. This does not mean I can have a flagrant disregard for laws in general, but it does mean that I must never confuse the law of the land with the Law of the Lord. I must strive to follow the latter and trust in the Lord, even when it brings painful division, even should it bring persecution.
Lord grant us wisdom to hear your call, and the courage to respond.
Sara Schulte-Bukowinski
Originally from central Nebraska, where my home diocese of Grand Island nurtured vocations to lay ministry, I pursued Divinity studies and completed my M.Div. at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in 2007. After 12 years doing formation and education in Catholic schools I was able to respond to my vocation in a different way by stepping into my current role as a lay pastoral minister (Parish Life Director) at St. John’s Church on Creighton’s campus. I live in Omaha with my husband Adam, our dog Lilly, and as of 2022 my parents-in-law Ann and George.
In graduate school I was fortunate to take a course from the illustrious theologian and Johannine scholar, Saundra Schneiders. I still remember her talking about the location where ongoing scriptural revelation occurs—in the space between the page and the eyes of the reader. This is where the Divine meets the realities of our lives, in our time and place. I look forward to sharing this encounter together as part of this reflection team.
