I’m currently reading a lot of material about violence and the Christian response to it in my Contemporary Theology class. Stanley Hauerwas and John Milbank are two authors that have recently entered my ever-growing library; but William Cavanaugh’s Torture and Eucharist is currently being broken-in by my sporadic readings of it. The book as a whole deals with the tension between the Catholic church and the Pinochet regime of Chile in the 1970s-1980s era of military dictatorship. About two weeks ago, we watched the film Romero, which portrays the life and ministry of Oscar Romero – the Latin American Archbishop who fought nonviolently against the political, social, and economic oppression of his people in El Salvador during the late 1970s.
This is my favorite scene from the entire movie.
To me, it is amazing how the Eucharist binds these people together. Even under the most oppressive situations – demonstrated by the military seizing control of the church building – the Eucharist serves to foster community so strong that the people take back their church without the use of guns or weapons. In the bread and wine, the people find hope and solidarity like no other. The Lord’s Supper allows the people – dominated by fear – to stand together courageously against the forces that bind them. The body and blood of Christ become real in this scene – real enough to trample even the mighty forces of a corrupt military regime.
Sometimes, my Baptist theology disappoints me. The sacrament of the Eucharist is one instance. I want, and believe, that Communion should be much more than a “symbol” or an act done “in remembrance.” I think it’s obvious by the language I use to refer to the Lord’s Supper that I lean towards a more Catholic understanding of this particular sacrament. While I’m not quite sure about the bread and wine physically becoming the body and blood of Christ, I do think there is something much more mystical and magical about the experience of Holy Communion than the Baptist tradition lets on. Obviously, there is something amazing at work when the believing community – the Church – participates in communion and celebrates the Eucharist. I think that nothing else brings the people of God together so closely as the breaking of bread. This fact is most obvious in the work of Oscar Romero. Although he is faced with an almost insurmountable challenge of confronting a powerful political force that has no concern for the poor and downtrodden, Romero uses the sacrament as a rallying cry for his fellow Christians.
It is in the Eucharist that we find meaning and belonging. We are reminded that no political, economic, or social structure can totally suppress us into non-being. The partaking of Holy Communion allows us to enter into the life of Jesus and experience the reconciliation that his death allows each of us to have. The Lord’s Supper shouldn’t just be an experience done to remember what has happened; it should be an experience to remember what has happened, what continues to happen, and what will happen. Holy Communion solidifies our community and strengthens us. There’s something amazing about that.
