Betrayal by a Kiss]]

Today is Holy Saturday, the day after the Death and the day before the Resurrection. It is a waiting day. A friend asked me to write a picture story about the Stations of the Cross we made yesterday on the Marquette University campus. I did, although it took more time that I would have wanted. But a picture story is better than just talk but not as good as an action.

Tonight during the sign of peace at the Easter Liturgy at St. Ben’s an elderly lady came up to me and asked if I was a member of the Milwaukee 14 in 1968 who committed an act of civil disobedience by burning 1A draft files. I said yes and she told me the story of how she was the mother of two young girls in a suburban church at the time who took her two young daughters to hear us talk at St. Ben’s after the action. She said how our talk radically changed her two daughters. One of the daughters and a family friend were there to confirm the story. As she thanked me I did not know what to say but was full of gratitude as she was.

During Mass I had been thinking about a betrayal of former friend that led to my being banned from the campus of Marquette University. I had just heard from one of his disciple and felt hurt and doubly betrayed. However, these words of gratitude by this lady made me forget about my hurt and gave me hope that any little dying I do in the name of Jesus means something.

At the end of our Stations of the Cross yesterday we played the song “Why” by Michael Card. The song asked “why did it have to be a friend who chose to betray the Lord.” He continues to ask a series of why questions about Jesus and cross and ends by saying: “Yes, Jesus had come into the world to steal every heart away.”

I might not know the why of why a former friend betrayed me in getting me banned from Marquette but I do know ‘Why’ God sent this woman at Church tonight to steal my heart away. A betrayal can be a blessing.

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