Daily Reflection
May 2, 2025

If this endeavor or this activity is of human origin,
it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them
Acts 5:38

Usually this is a season of hope and new life – Easter joy, blossoming trees, graduations etc. However, this year it’s harder to shout “alleluia” because I’m haunted by the horrifying pictures of deportees in El Salvador’s prisons, mutilated children in Gaza and Ukraine  and the  fear that things will only get worse.

Where is the resurrection? Is there anything we can do?

As I ask these questions, I take comfort in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  “If this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them.”
The disciples offer us a model for coping with what’s happening now because they passed through a period of despair following the crucifixion.  As Dr. Maryanne Stevens R.S.M. of Omaha’s College of Saint Mary told a prayer service on Jan. 20, “On Good Friday, everyone thought it was over.”

Then the disciples experienced the resurrection and emerged with a faith that fueled hope and gave them courage to spread the “good news” despite the personal cost. The floggings mentioned in today’s reading were just a start since most were eventually martyred. However, their message could not be destroyed because it came from God. 

So, what lessons can we derive?  Above all, we must never abandon the hope that gives us the courage to live the gospel and to act as an apostle.

As I write this, I’m looking at a poster of Robert Kennedy telling a crowd of oppressed people in apartheid South Africa that every time we serve others or act for justice, we send out “ripples of hope” that together build a current that can tear down “the mightiest walls of oppression.” We must have faith that we have the power to make a difference, however small.

During Vietnam, peace activist Daniel Berrigan S.J., asked himself if he was drowning in bad news because he was failing to be good news. We should start of journey back to hope by asking how we can become “good news” to others, Since cruelty  seems to motivate  the treatment of migrants,  the poor, people of color and people with disabilities, how can we combat it?

Jesus told us to welcome the stranger and to care for the least of our brothers and sisters. If we believe this, we must actively obey these commands.  The possibilities are endless.  If you’re upset about the defunding of food banks, increase your donations or volunteer.  Support clinics serving people losing health care funding. Get involved with homeless shelters, services to children, schools and libraries – wherever you can make a difference. Get political if you choose but above all, don’t be a spectator while people suffer.

You don’t even have to join a group or volunteer for a program. When I told a theologian friend that I’m combatting my own distress by regularly visiting friends suffering from dementia and/or physical disabilities, she said this is a great way to take a stand against the dehumanization of the weak. All I do is show up, maybe with some of my legendary brownies. Try it—it sure beats doom scrolling on the computer.

No matter how upset you are, don’t let hopelessness paralyze you. Try to have faith  that cruel activities “of human origin…will destroy” themselves while it is impossible to destroy works based on our faith  that “come from God.”