Change at Any Age

Anyone can be trained to be a sharp shooter, that's what I've heard. So I guess all in all, it must have been pretty easy to kill Archbishop Oscar Romero with one shot in the heart, while he was presiding over the body and blood of Jesus Christ during mass on March 24, 1980, just outside of San Salvador.

It happened when I was about 17 years old, but the event didn't come to me until almost 25 years later when I went to El Salvador to meet coffee farmers. People, who, according to Romero are the 'face of Jesus.' Take a look at this coffee picker pictured below, Maria de Jesus, who I met briefly -- and you decide if you see Jesus. Put it this way, I felt Jesus on that mountain.

Anyway, there Romero was all over the place almost 25 years after his murder. On the bus windows, sides of buildings, billboards, t-shirts. Everywhere. He's as alive today as ever. And that's what he said would happen when he started to understand that he would be assassinated. That he would live in the people forever.

I think one of the most amazing aspects about Romero's story is that he wasn't a peace and justice kind of guy. He wasn't into poor people and all that. He was extremely establishment. Super status quo Catholic guy. Nice Vatican man. I mean look at his image -- is this a rebel? That's why they decided on him in as Archbishop. He wasn't one of those trouble maker priests. And yet at age 60 he changed. 60! And the next and last three years of his life were the most joyful and powerful ones. And his sermons were more popular than, I don't know, American Idol. Packed Cathedral. National broadcasts.

He pleaded with the Pope to recognize the atrocity that was happening in his country. Death squads to dissenters. Torture. Snipers. He begged the President of the U.S. to stop financing the atrocity. He counseled young soldiers to disobey orders to commit the atrocity. He loved the people especially vulnerable to the atrocity, usually rural peasants, women, and children. Like Maria de Jesus.

He called the planners of the atrocity to conversion and repentance.

Anyone can change at anytime. At your own risk of course.

I'm not trying to get all heavy on you, but this is just what I do on March 24, remember Archbishop Oscar Romero. You gotta have heroes.

A good book: Oscar Romero, Memories in Mosaic

A good website: Oscar Romero Index

A good movie: Romero Starring the late great Raul Julia.

Thanks so much for coming over to the liver blog. Happy March 24th.

Love, T