Chapter 2: A History of Salvation

I feel like in this second chapter Romero’s words cut deeper, are yet more challenging. Or perhaps it is that as we grow accustomed to Romero’s voice, we can listen more deeply. Of the many I’ve starred and underlined, here are a few quotes which particularly stood out, and some reflections/questions on them:

“Faith consists in accepting God without asking him to account for things according to our standard. Faith consists in reacting before God as Mary did: I don’t understand it, Lord, but let it be done in me according to your word.” (p. 23)
How many of our faith questions are really asking God to account for things according to our standard? Is the kind of faith Romero describes an “easy way out?”—blind faith? Can we, as Mary, love God unconditionally?

“There is no dichotomy between man and God’s image. Whoever tortures a human being, whoever abuses a human being, whoever outrages a human being abuses God’s image, and the church takes as its own that cross, that martyrdom.” (p. 26)
For me this full, complete understanding of humanity as the image of God brings with it what we promise to uphold in our baptismal covenant: a deep respect for the dignity of every human being. In this way, the suffering of every person who suffers unjustly, whether Christian or not, becomes a martyrdom, because in them the image of God is desecrated. And as Romero points out in the quote from chapter 1 (p. 6) the one who brutalizes other also tramples the image of God in himself.

“…one cannot live a gospel that is too angelical, a gospel of compliance, a gospel that is not dynamic peace, a gospel that is not of demanding dimensions in regard to temporal matters also.” (p. 27)

“The World does not say: blessed are the poor. The world says: blessed are the rich. You are worth as much as you have. But Christ says: wrong. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, because they do not put their trust in what is so transitory.” (p. 33)
My experience in El Salvador has taught me the truth of Romero’s words: the blessedness of poverty lies in this: that the poor know their need of God.

“The degree to which you approach [the poor], and the love with which you approach them, or the scorn with which you approach them—that is how you approach your God. What you do to them, you do to God. The way you look at them is the way you look at God.” (p. 35) Romero takes Matthew 25—“What you have done to the least of my brothers and sisters you have done to me”—and really helps us understand what we mean. What is our habitual reaction to poor people? What is our reaction to Romero saying that that is how we react to God?

Chapter 1: A Pilgrim Church

I hadn’t realized on prior reading that, though the chapter titles suggest themes, the quotes in this book are arranged chronologically and not thematically, so we’ll get a sense of both the continuity and also the development of Romero’s thought in his three years as Archbishop. The very last quote in the book is taken from the homily he preached minutes before he was shot during the offertory of the Eucharist in the chapel of the cancer hospital where he lived.
Here are some quotes that jumped out at me on reading chapter 1:

“We must save not the soul at the hour of death but the human person living in history.” (p. 4)

“Of those who are condemned it will be said: They could have done good and did not.” (p. 4)

“Let us not tire of preaching love; it is the force that will overcome the world. Let us not tire of preaching love. Though we see that waves of violence succeed in drowning the fire of Christian love, love must win out; it is the only thing that can.” (p. 7)

“How I would like to engrave this great idea on each one’s heart: Christianity is not a collection of truths to be believed, of laws to be obeyed, of prohibitions. This makes it very distasteful. Christianity is a person, one who loved us so much, one who calls for our love. Christianity is Christ.” (p. 8-9)

“We cannot segregate God’s word from the historical reality in which it is proclaimed. It would not then be God’s word. It would be history, it would be a pious book, a Bible that is just a book in our library. It becomes God’s word because it vivifies, enlightens, contrast, repudiates, praises what is going on today in this society. “ (p. 11-12)

“We have never preached violence, except the violence of love, which left Christ nailed to a cross, the violence that we must each do to ourselves to overcome our selfishness and such cruel inequalities among us. The violence we preach is not the violence of the sword, the violence of hatred. It is the violence of love, of brotherhood, the violence that wills to beat weapons in to sickles for work.” (p. 12)

What is your reaction to these quotes? What others that stood out for you?

How do you find yourself responding, intellectually and emotionally, to Romero’s words?

Note: reading the notes at the end of the book will help put the quotations in context.

About the book

The Violence of Love by Oscar Romero is available for free download in English or Spanish at www.plough.com/ebooks/violenceoflove.html, and is available from booksellers.

It is in one sense, very "readable" because it consists of short quotes from Romero's sermons; in another sense it is a difficult read because some of Romero's words can be quite challenging. We can debate, agree or disagree with what he says; seriously engaging Romero always raises important questions for me, deepens my faith, and helps me keep my perspective.

Here are what the reviewers had to say about The Violence of Love:

Oscar Romero was converted by suffering: the suffering of a friend, of the people he served, and then finally his own suffering. There are many ways to be converted, but perhaps the best way is to live among the poor and to discover in them as Romero did, the presence of Christ.

-- Samuel Ruiz Garcia, Bishop of San Cristobal, Chiapas Mexico

Romero does not speak from a distance. He does not hide his fears, his brokenness, his hesitations. It is as if he puts his arm around my shoulder and slowly walks with me. He shares my struggles. There is a warmth in his words that opens my heart to listen.

-- Henri J. M. Nouwen, from the Forward

These homilies reveal lines of poetic beauty describing a cruel and ugly world. Here is indomitable courage and utter humility. Here is a message of hope.

-- Robert McAfee Brown, Professor Emeritus, Pacific School of Religion