Oscar Romero: Reflections on His Life and Writings Book

Back when I was in college, in the Bible survey course I took, we were assigned to read through the three books of Jewish law (Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) and consider the purpose behind these laws -- for whom were they written and why? When the professor invited us to share our thoughts on this, the first student to respond said confidently that these laws were written to suppress the lower classes and to keep them in line through fear of divine retribution. The professor then asked the student which specific laws from the reading led him to that conclusion. The student sat dumb for several moments, having no answer to that challenge. The professor then proceeded to cite a handful of laws which suggested that, in fact, they had been directed at the more powerful and well-off members of society, for the purpose of giving some basic protection and rights to the weak and helpless.

At its heart, of course, the Judeo-Christian ideology is far more radical than most of its practitioners would want to admit. Which is why this book, and the life of Oscar Romero it describes, is so spiritually invigorating.

Archbishop Oscar Romero was appointed to be a conservative, don't-rock-the-boat head of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. But shortly after his appointment, circumstances (and the Spirit) conspired to make him a fierce and passionate champion of the poorest of his people, and a thorn in the side of the Salvadoran government and military.

Throughout this book, Romero is revealed to be a saint whose time has come. Much of what he said and dealt with in his day seems just as relevant to us now.

"He knew the church too sins and challenged us to accept a church slow to be purified," one passage says. "The church of El Salvador was not 'one,' but deeply divided like the society it reflected. ... The church is holy and unholy, a grace and an obstacle to grace, a sacrament and a scandal. The church is flawed like us, both a vessel of redemption and in need of redemption. For this reason Romero called the church to a deeper conversion to the poor where false gods are unmasked and where the good news is received and enfleshed."

This quick and easy read cuts right at the heart of what the church, what a Christian life, should be all about.