Archbishop Oscar Romera – Liberation Theologian and Martyr of the Faith

March 1, 2004

This month’s reflection is from Archbishop Oscar Romera – Liberation Theologian and Martyr of the Faith.

A Future Not Of Our Own

It helps now and then to step back and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
It is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime
Only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise
That is God’s work.

Nothing is complete,
Which is another way of saying
That the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No programme accomplishes  the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives include everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
Knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and do it well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
An opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results,
But that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders,
Ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Rev Fred Ireland