The light of resurrection in a dark, war-torn world

By Dominic Irudayaraj, SJ

Our context: Conflict seems to have become the order of the day. Even a cursory reading of newspapers or a passing glance at television or a quick scrolling of our social media pages can overwhelm us with pictures and videos of greed, hatred, and bloodshed. War, conflict and hate politics contribute to this inhuman reality in no small measures. International conflicts, as immense and immoral as they are, never stop at the global level. They quickly devolve into familial spaces and personal psyches. In this situation which looks almost hopeless, what relevance can the Resurrection of Jesus – the foundational mystery of Christian faith -have? From the rich repertoire of our Biblical, Church and Jesuit resources, can we hope to draw some inspiration?

Resurrection: The episode of Jesus raising the dead Lazarus (John 11:1—12:8) is a moving and therefore a memorable episode in the gospel of John. Jesus receives the word that Lazarus is seriously ill, but does not rush to Bethany. After a considerable delay of four full days, when he arrives in Bethany, the ever-active Martha rushes to meet Jesus and confronts him: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died!” She continues as though goading Jesus to do something: “Even now I know that God will give you what you ask of him.” Jesus responds that Lazurus will rise again. Martha, however, does not seem satisfied. She blurts out: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” It is at this juncture that Jesus declares to her, “I am the resurrection and life” (11:25).

At the face value, such a discourse on resurrection when a sister is dealing with a deeply painful experience of losing her beloved brother would sound out of place, if not outright offensive. Commenting on the encounter, an eminent Johannine scholar, Francis J. Moloney, SDB highlights a disconnect here: while Jesus is trying to invite Martha to move from the gift (resurrection and life) to the very giver of that gift (Jesus), Martha prefers to accept Jesus only “on her terms.”

A similar dynamic may characterize our Christian disposition to Jesus’ resurrection, when we approach it amidst our current and painful realities of unending wars, mindless massacres, and insensitive treatment of our brothers and sisters – particularly those at the existential margins. Despair will be the natural response. But Jesus gently draws Martha’s attention to the fact that the grace of resurrection shines through when we embrace it amidst pain and loss. He may be extending the same invitation to us. It is hardly a coincidence that our current and previous Popes try to instill hope in us.

“God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood’.” (Isaiah 1:15)

The Prophetic Voice of Pope Francis: During his Urbi et Orbi on 21 April 2019, Pope Francis earnestly entreated that there be an end to conflict and bloodshed in Libya, and for peace in the entire African continent. The Pope made a specific mention of conflicts in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Sudan, and South Sudan. And he prayed, “May the light of Easter illumine all government leaders and peoples in the Middle East, beginning with Israelis and Palestinians, and spur them to alleviate such great suffering and to pursue a future of peace and stability.”

Pope Leo continues the prophetic legacy: On 29 March 2026, Pope Leo, in his Palm Sunday Homily emphatically declared: “Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: ‘Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood’.” (Isaiah 1:15).

During the so-called golden era of the eighth-century BCE, when Israel and Judah enjoyed a prolonged period of peace and notable prosperity, prophet Isaiah did not fail to notice a serious disconnect. People brought to the Temple offerings obtained from rich and powerful people’s greedy grabbing of houses and fields from their less fortunate brothers and sisters (Isaiah 5) – a blatant violation of God-given covenant! So, the prophet could not but roar like a lion (cf. Amos 1; 3) announcing that offerings by the exploiters and war-mongering leaders are detested by Israel’s justice-loving God. The courageous words of Pope Leo continue the same prophetic legacy.

Ignatius invites us to act as “healers, truth-tellers, reconcilers, and comforters” in the world, living as people who know that life has defeated death.

St. Ignatius: Naming the warmongers for who they are constitutes a key prophetic charism that our Sacred Book readily attests to. The obverse side is no less important: when we dare to unlearn war-waging tactics, the covenantal blessing of safety and security will soon be ours (cf. “sitting under one’s own vine and fig tree” cf. Micah 4, Isaiah 2). On this, our Founder Father Ignatius’ insight is immensely relevant. Drawing on his deep mystical experiences and reflecting on the mystery of resurrection, Ignatius invites us to act as “healers, truth-tellers, reconcilers, and comforters” in the world, living as people who know that life has defeated death (cf. V. H. Wright, “What Does It Mean to Live the Resurrection?” http://www.ignatianspirituality.com).

To dare, love and care: In his recent talks on the Holy Triduum, a noted biblical scholar Enrique Sanz Giménez-Rico, SJ, compared the three days to three moments of love: the hour of love (Maundy Thursday), the silence of love (Good Friday), and the challenge of love (Holy Saturday). When Jesus’ self-giving love is faced with a betrayal by one of his own disciples, the same love runs the risk of being silent or, in fact, silenced! But the Risen Lord, who refused to be confined to the grave, calls us to dare, love and care in a war-torn world.

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