“I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).
Historically, we say that we are beginning a new era when the magnitude of the events taking place mark a rupture with the previous experience and project the new generations of women and men to horizons never imagined.
With the invention of the smartphone, Wikipedia and the seemingly omniscient Google, unfathomable artificial intelligence is in the palm of our hands and within the reach of children, young people and the elderly in all places of our planet.
We have unraveled the sacred human genetic code, we are exposed to scientific experiments on mutations, gender changes, virtual presences in communications and the reduction of geographical distances due to new means of transport.
The painful global experience of the coronavirus challenged us to live our faith in Christ virtually, thanks to Zoom communication. Could it be that, as St. Paul said, we are facing a renewal of the mind to discern what is good, pleasant and perfect?
As much as science, technology and cybernetics continue to evolve, nothing can replace the experience of personal contact. Although I can see and hear my mother or my brother through a screen with almost tangible clarity, nothing can substitute the warmth of a hug, the energy of a handshake or the indescribable peace that a kiss can provide.
The experience of encountering Christ cannot be virtually replaced, and the personal encounter will continue to be necessary. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). The experience of love cannot be virtual; it involves our entire being and transforms our existence.
Christians of today and tomorrow will continue to need that personal encounter with Jesus to impact the world with the experience that makes us brothers to all. Jesus sends us forth to share that joy of the good news of a God who loves us to the extreme to make us live eternally.
Discerning God’s will is not too complicated. We just need to have the courage to touch the most intimate fibers of our hearts and minds. There we will discover what is good, what is pleasant and, above all, what is perfect.
We cannot stay anchored in the past. We are in a new era. We must continue to discover new forms of forgiveness, joy, gratitude, hope, fraternity, humanity and faith. For Christ to be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28), we must be nourished by his body, his blood and his word. Our lives are creating with him every day a “Happy New Era.”
Northwest Catholic — February/March 2021