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The Southern Cross, Page 9 Thursday, October 12, 2000 Faith What would Jesus do? By Daniel S. Mulhall Catholic News Service FAITH IN THE MARKETPLACE Tell of a situation in which you “lived by the Gospel” — applied it, that is, to your circumstances. “I check on an elderly neighbor every day.... She doesn’t get out of the house much, and keeping in touch with her like this lets me know that she’s all right or that she needs some assistance.” — Mary Seiderer, Bethlehem, Conn. “Yesterday, I took Communion to a homebound individual. This is something I do once a week.” — Jeannie Pearl, Graham, N.C. “I try to live by the Gospel in how I deal with people every day. I visit the sick. I preside at Com munion services. I give homilies. The Gospel is my foundation in all of these works.” — Sister Margie Schmidt, OSB, Lewiston, Idaho “I live the Gospel by reaching out to others; by my work — teaching the Gospel message; and by realizing that life itself is ministry.” — Lena Spada, Fern Park, Fla. An upcoming edition asks: What image of heaven or question about it would you like to share? If you would like to respond for possible publication, please write: Faith Alive! 3211 Fourth St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017-1100. If you’ve spent much time around teens, you’ve probably seen these let ters on a bracelet, a necklace or piece of clothing: W.W.J.D. The initials — asking “What Would Jesus Do?” — seem to be everywhere. This catchy four-letter acronym, which spread rapidly through the ef forts of evangelical and fundamental ist church communities, has become a slogan for Catholic youths and young adults. W.W.J.D. is a shorthand way of asking, “How am I to live the Gospel in my daily life?” Given the fervor with which they have adopted this message (it has be come almost as prevalent as the Nike swoosh or the Golden Arches), many young adults and teens must have a great interest in knowing how they are to live as Christians. The question’s simplicity provides them with an easy reference point to work from when facing a difficult decision. There is nothing wrong with the question. Everyone seeking to follow Jesus could benefit from reflecting on the four letters before making a deci sion. Christians are to act as Jesus acted and to live the way he lived. (The first Christians were called “fol lowers of the way” because they lived as Jesus showed them how to live.) The problem arises not with the question, but with how the question is answered. Before a person can act as Jesus would, he or she must first know what Jesus said and did. Living the Gospel requires familiarity with it. Individuals can learn much about how to follow Jesus from studying the Bible. Jesus’ messages on how to live are found throughout the Gospels. Some of his messages, such as the Beatitudes in Luke 6:20-25, require some interpretation. But Jesus also offered the kind of concrete guidance found in Matthew 25:34-36, calling “blessed” those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, tend the sick and visit those in prison. Jesus also taught by example. He healed the blind man, raised Lazarus from the dead and cured lepers. Such examples, though, while teaching Christians to live with compassion, are difficult to follow. Most people don’t work miracles. There are also specific situations of our times that the Gospels don’t ad dress as such: watching R-rated mov ies, for example, or downloading mu sic from the Internet. Nonetheless, it is possible to get a feel for how Jesus would act in all cases. That’s what the church provides when it offers moral guidance or doctrinal teaching: help ing to clarify how Jesus would act in today’s situations based upon what he said and did. One way Christians learn how to follow Jesus is by watching how Christians live and then acting the same. Regrettably, this way doesn’t al ways work, for many Christians claim to love God, yet hate their neighbor, something Jesus warned against. Another way for Christians to learn to follow Jesus is literally to do what he did and said his followers should do. That’s why so many young people participate in service projects to feed the hungry, to provide safe shelter for the homeless or to visit the old and infirm. By “walking the Christian talk,” they are learning to act as Jesus acted. There is much that Christians must learn in order truly to live the Gospel and follow the way of Jesus. Asking “W.W.J.D.” is a start, as is studying Scripture and church teach ing. But then Christians must do as Jesus did: It’s not enough just to ask the question. (Mulhall is assistant secretary for catechesis and inculturation in the U.S. Catholic Conference Depart ment of Education.) Archbishop Romero: The Gospel alive By Father Herb Weber Catholic News Service T; he crypt of the San Salvador cathedral was dark except for one light workers had turned on over Archbishop Oscar Romero’s tomb. I felt dis tinctly privileged to be there since the tomb was closed to the public while repairs were being made after an earthquake. The fact that I was ac companied by two dozen Salvadoran peasants, the very ones Archbishop Romero died for, helped me understand this man as a contemporary saint. Archbishop Romero, as leader of the San Salvador archdiocese, had challenged the powers of El Salva dor and spoken out in favor of the poor and oppressed. He was gunned down while saying Mass in a hospi- CNS photo of visitors at tomb by Edgar Romero tal chapel in 1980. When I first vis ited the Central American country in 1993, everyone revered him. I had just spent 10 days with Miguel and his family in a remote hill settlement called Santa Rita. 1 ln 0 Nutshell Learning to live by the Gospel calls for familiarity with Jesus’ words as well as his example. Jesus preached God*s reign. The lowly were to be raised up. The last were to be first. Living the Gospel means working for a justice that respects the rights of all. And each Christian is called to acts of self-sacrifice for the good of others. Miguel, who fled El Salva dor during its civil war, had lived with me in Ohio for about six months the previous year. With the Romero’s credit, he listened to the people. Then, taking the Gospel to heart, he spoke out in defuse of the poor against the government and the wealthy, even asking the United he faet that I was accompanied by two dozen Salvadoran peasants, the very ones Archbishop Romero died for, helped me understand this man as a contemporary saint.” declaration of a truce be tween the government and the rebels, Miguel re turned to reunite with his family. Since he feared go ing alone, I joined him. Once I arrived in El Salvador I discovered that the rich owned most of the land and held all positions of power. Santa Rita’s poor could not feed their families or provide more than minimal education for their children. Their farmland was a rocky hillside. If someone managed to get work elsewhere, the wages were still subsistence level. I recall being at the open-air mar ket where Miguel intended to buy some local cheese. But one pound of cheese cost a day’s pay! Only when I saw examples like this and realized the poverty and injustice experi enced by so many did Archbishop Romero’s words and actions make sense to me. When he first became San Salvador’s archbishop, priests and people alike expected he would sup port the status quo. To Archbishop States to cut aid to the Salvadoran military, believed to sponsor death squads that were killing his people. Living the Gospel means making Jesus’ words, actions and message one’s own. It means working for a justice that respects the rights of all. It also involves taking risks and be ing willing to pay the cost. As I looked at Archbishop Romero’s tomb, I saw the words from John 15:13 in Spanish pro claiming, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Father Herb Weber is pastor of St. Peter’s Parish in Mansfield, Ohio.) All contents copyright ©2000 by CNS