IT’S unfortunate that the word
‘radical’ or ‘radicalized’
has assumed an almost exclusively negative connotation due to the
years of terrorism erupting these days in many places all over the
world. But it should not be so. It’s quite unfair that bad elements
have practically hijacked that word for themselves when it, in fact,
has a very beautiful, not to mention, significant meaning.
To be radical means to go to the roots or to the
foundations of things. It comes from the Latin word ‘radix’ which
precisely means root. And what good could anything be or have if it
has no roots?
Remember that parable in the gospel of St. Matthew about
the sower and the seed? “Some seeds fell on the rocky places where
they did not much soil. And immediately they sprang up, because they
had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched.
And because they had no root, they withered away.” (13,5-6)
Sad to say, nowadays we can see many people who can be
aptly described as rootless. They have no convictions other than their
transitory passions at a given moment. Some hardly have any knowledge
of their history and culture that should give some sense of stability
and direction in their thoughts and behavior. They are as flippant and
as fleeting as today’s fads and fashions.
St. Jude would describe these people in his epistle in
these words: “These are…fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead,
uprooted…” (1,12)
We need to be men and women with depth, with clear
foundations and good, strong and healthy roots. That’s simply because
the roots somehow determine the kind of fruits a tree bears. If the
roots are good and properly planted on good ground, the fruits will
also be good and healthy.
We need to exert some special, deliberate effort to take
care of our roots, because since roots are normally out of sight, they
are also usually taken for granted. And in our life, we have to make
sure that our roots are properly planted on good ground. That’s
because it is inhuman to be without roots, or to plant our roots
anywhere.
This brings us to what St. Paul once said in his Letter to the
Colossians. “Plant your roots in Christ,” he said, “and let him be the
foundation for your life, Be strong in your faith, just as you were
taught. And be grateful.” (2,7)
These words practically tell us to be radical in Christ. We need to be
radicalized in our Christian life, and avoid being Christian in name
only. We should not be afraid to pursue this path of radicalization
since it has nothing to do with violence, terrorism, fundamentalism,
rigidity, self-righteousness and the like.
On the contrary, to be a Christian radical or a radicalized Christian
is to be full of patience, compassion, mercy, understanding. To be a
Christian radical or a radicalized Christian is to have the fullness
of charity grounded always on the truth.
It may involve a certain violence, but it is the violence of love as
articulated in the gospel of St. Matthew: “From the days of John the
Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent
men take it by force.” (11,12)
This Christian violence or forcefulness is shown in Christ himself who
was not afraid to offer his life on the cross out of sheer love for
us. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends.” (Jn 15,13)
It’s the violence and forcefulness of love that can “bear all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor
13,7).
It is the violence and forcefulness of many saints who were willing to
embrace martyrdom out of their great faith and love for God and for
souls. It is the violence and forcefulness involved in following the
commandments of God to “love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” (Mt 22,37) and “to
love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 13,34)
This violence and forcefulness of a Christian radical actually makes
us tough and fearless of anything just as St. Paul said in his Letter
to the Romans: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our
Lord.” (8,38-39)
Yes, let’s be radical!
has assumed an almost exclusively negative connotation due to the
years of terrorism erupting these days in many places all over the
world. But it should not be so. It’s quite unfair that bad elements
have practically hijacked that word for themselves when it, in fact,
has a very beautiful, not to mention, significant meaning.
To be radical means to go to the roots or to the
foundations of things. It comes from the Latin word ‘radix’ which
precisely means root. And what good could anything be or have if it
has no roots?
Remember that parable in the gospel of St. Matthew about
the sower and the seed? “Some seeds fell on the rocky places where
they did not much soil. And immediately they sprang up, because they
had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched.
And because they had no root, they withered away.” (13,5-6)
Sad to say, nowadays we can see many people who can be
aptly described as rootless. They have no convictions other than their
transitory passions at a given moment. Some hardly have any knowledge
of their history and culture that should give some sense of stability
and direction in their thoughts and behavior. They are as flippant and
as fleeting as today’s fads and fashions.
St. Jude would describe these people in his epistle in
these words: “These are…fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead,
uprooted…” (1,12)
We need to be men and women with depth, with clear
foundations and good, strong and healthy roots. That’s simply because
the roots somehow determine the kind of fruits a tree bears. If the
roots are good and properly planted on good ground, the fruits will
also be good and healthy.
We need to exert some special, deliberate effort to take
care of our roots, because since roots are normally out of sight, they
are also usually taken for granted. And in our life, we have to make
sure that our roots are properly planted on good ground. That’s
because it is inhuman to be without roots, or to plant our roots
anywhere.
This brings us to what St. Paul once said in his Letter to the
Colossians. “Plant your roots in Christ,” he said, “and let him be the
foundation for your life, Be strong in your faith, just as you were
taught. And be grateful.” (2,7)
These words practically tell us to be radical in Christ. We need to be
radicalized in our Christian life, and avoid being Christian in name
only. We should not be afraid to pursue this path of radicalization
since it has nothing to do with violence, terrorism, fundamentalism,
rigidity, self-righteousness and the like.
On the contrary, to be a Christian radical or a radicalized Christian
is to be full of patience, compassion, mercy, understanding. To be a
Christian radical or a radicalized Christian is to have the fullness
of charity grounded always on the truth.
It may involve a certain violence, but it is the violence of love as
articulated in the gospel of St. Matthew: “From the days of John the
Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent
men take it by force.” (11,12)
This Christian violence or forcefulness is shown in Christ himself who
was not afraid to offer his life on the cross out of sheer love for
us. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends.” (Jn 15,13)
It’s the violence and forcefulness of love that can “bear all things,
believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Cor
13,7).
It is the violence and forcefulness of many saints who were willing to
embrace martyrdom out of their great faith and love for God and for
souls. It is the violence and forcefulness involved in following the
commandments of God to “love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” (Mt 22,37) and “to
love one another as I have loved you.” (Jn 13,34)
This violence and forcefulness of a Christian radical actually makes
us tough and fearless of anything just as St. Paul said in his Letter
to the Romans: “For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our
Lord.” (8,38-39)
Yes, let’s be radical!
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