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Now is the day of salvation

(2 Cor 6:2)

            During the past two months, I have focused my reflections on the need for all of us to be faithful and courageous in the face of hardships, difficulties and uncertainties arising from the financial and economic crisis sweeping the region. I have encouraged the members of the community to be like Daniel and his friends, to trust that the Lord is in control of events and history. I have tried to impart to all our brothers and sisters this overarching message of the Gospels: Do not be afraid! Finally, I have exhorted everyone to have the kind of faith that makes one ready to “perish in the boat” with Jesus, if necessary.

            As we go deep into the crisis in Indonesia, our work of evangelization will acquire a new and challenging dimension. Since the beginning of the CFC expatriate community in Jakarta in 1993, we have been able to serve in the community and to carry on our work of evangelization virtually unencumbered by problems related to financial insecurity and job uncertainty. We have good jobs and are financially secure. We view this condition as a special blessing from the Lord, and in gratitude, we serve God and the community joyfully and enthusiastically.

Now conditions have changed significantly. Many of our brothers and sisters have lost their jobs or are about to lose them. Some have already left Jakarta and many more will be leaving soon. A number of those leaving are already leaders in the community, with important pastoral responsibilities. Those who are staying are also worried about losing their jobs. And many of those who are able to keep their jobs have seen their salaries cut drastically.

This year our membership will most probably decrease as more and more expatriates leave Jakarta. As the Indonesian economy undergoes drastic adjustments, costs will go up while incomes go down. With higher costs, lower incomes and fewer workers, our work of evangelization will be much more challenging. But when we are weakest that is the time when we can become strongest – if we learn to depend more on the Lord. With the Lord taking over the lacuna, will we not become even stronger than before? Indeed, who can be stronger than the Lord?

My brothers and sisters, I believe that this time is the most opportune time for evangelization. After all the Church is watered with the blood of martyrs. Christianity is founded on the Cross of Calvary. Good Friday is always followed by Easter Sunday. Death is a necessary prelude to Resurrection. Where there is suffering and difficulty that is where God’s grace abounds. When we humble ourselves in our weakness, that is when God exalts us in his strength. Therefore, I am convinced that this time is a “very acceptable time” for evangelization. Indeed today is the “day of salvation.” These thoughts remind me of Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians.

            Scholars believe that 2 Corinthians is actually composed of several letters that were combined together by a later editor. From a study of the structural breaks and sudden transitions in the text of 2 Corinthians, some scholars detect the possibility of as many as five different letters. However, most scholars believe that 2 Corinthians is composed of two letters, the first letter being from chapters 1 to 9, and the second letter from chapters 10 to 13. It is believed that the first letter was written in the spring of AD 55, and the second in the summer of the same year.

Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians is prompted by the arrival in Corinth of preachers who claim that they have special powers and can hand these over to their followers if they so desire. They have a flashy style of ministry centered on their spiritual prayers and claimed mystical experiences and powerful deeds. While boasting of their own abilities, these preachers criticize Paul claiming that he has no credentials as an apostle. They describe him as worldly with no depth of spiritual experience. Furthermore, he is weak and unimpressive in speech and deeds.

Paul responds strongly, sarcastically calling the preachers as “super-apostles” (2 Cor 11:5, 12:11). To their claim that he is not a true apostle, Paul gives a two-pronged response. First, he reminds the Corinthians that the best evidence of the authenticity of his apostleship is the faith that the Corinthians themselves now possess as a result of his ministry. Second, he describes his own suffering as solid proof of his call as an apostle. He claims that his experience of suffering and his receiving of God’s healing mercy unequivocally qualify him as a minister of Christ. Against the super-apostles’ emphasis on the external trappings of spiritual power, Paul stresses the value of suffering as a witness to the truth of the gospel and the power of God. This witness, Paul asserts, is so powerful that suffering is transformed from an evil into an eloquent testimony of faith. 

            In his letter, Paul calls the Corinthians his co-workers and issues an appeal to them. Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: “In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We cause no one to stumble in anything, in order that no fault may be found with our ministry; on the contrary, in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, vigils, fasts (2 Cor 6:1-5).

Paul cites the prophet Isaiah and assures the faithful in Corinth that Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled in them. He tells them that his overwhelming desire is to evangelize and nothing should impede that ministry, not afflictions or hardships. Paul then describes his ministry as having undergone testing and much endurance. He has been afflicted by accidents, maligned by others and suffered numerous hardships. He has faced uncertainties. His commitment as an evangelist has been tested by fire.

My brothers and sisters, there are no “super-apostles” disturbing or misleading our community. But we know that for the next few years there will be difficulties and constraints in our ministry of evangelization. Accordingly, we must remember Paul’s message to the Corinthians: But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” I will rather boast most gladly in weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong  (2 Cor 12:9-10).

My brothers and sisters, I want to state once more my firm conviction: Our day of salvation has come! In the midst of hardships and constraints, God’s presence will be more strongly felt. In his presence let us pray that God may give us the grace to work even harder, serve with even greater zeal and dedicate ourselves even more fully to the urgent task of evangelization. Instead of becoming an obstacle, let us use the current economic and financial crisis as an impetus to focus more sharply on Jesus. Let us transform this crisis into an opportunity for us to bear witness, through God’s grace, that indeed “power is made perfect in weakness.” If we persevere and intensify our efforts, “the power of Christ will dwell in us” and our weakness will be our strength. Then indeed, now will be a very acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.

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