Honoring the Peacemakers – Your Catholic Weekly Reflection from CMMB
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.”
—1 Corinthians 12:5-11
In Sunday’s second reading, we are reminded that there is variety in each of us — we all have unique gifts and abilities. While we may express these gifts and abilities in different ways, when we put our faith in action, it is God at work in each of us. All our special gifts originate from the same place, so in that sense we are all alike. And we need each other in order to do God’s work.
Tomorrow, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., a man who dedicated his life to fighting injustices and giving voice to the voiceless. His Christian values led him to seek peaceful methods to achieve social change, and he inspired millions.
Almost 7,000 miles away, one of our key partners in South Sudan, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, is also fighting for peace and justice. He is the Catholic bishop of Tombura-Yambio diocese and one of the key actors in the struggle to end violence in that country. Shortly after South Sudan gained its independence in 2011, a bloody civil war broke out that has claimed the lives of an estimated 400,000 people and displaced millions more.
For people living in conflict, every day is filled with uncertainty and fear. Not knowing what might happen stops people from truly living. For children in war-torn countries, it can feel hopeless.
There are so many obstacles and challenges to finding and securing peace. When we asked Bishop Eduardo what inspires him to continue the fight, he quoted the bible: “John 10:10, I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” He continued:
“There is no way you should see another human being as less, or that they should have less. We have it all. We are breathing the same air. How can I say, I will breathe more air than you…to take more oxygen than another person? And that is what I believe in. All human beings should be treated equally, because God has given us life equally. That is why the planet is one, the air is one, the sun is one. Everything he made already equally, it is just that we human beings try to squeeze the resources for ourselves.”
Let us remember that we are all God’s children. We belong to each other; that we need each other. When we fight injustices against the weakest among us, we all emerge stronger. Let your faith continue to guide you today, and every day.
In grace and peace,
CMMB – Healthier Lives Worldwide