Romero: A Time for Prophetic Action - Liberation (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

In the heart of El Salvador, during a time of deep unrest, Archbishop Oscar Romero stood at a crossroads where silence had become a shroud over the cries of the oppressed. Picture the dimly lit church, filled with weary faces, their eyes mirroring the anguish of a nation. Romero, a man of deep faith and acute discernment, recognized the kairos—that sacred moment when love demands action. He could hear the whispered prayers of the suffering, the echoing cries for justice that had long been drowned out by the oppressive regime.

In his sermons, Romero often referenced Ecclesiastes 3. He reminded his congregation that “for everything, there is a season.” Yet, unlike the seasonal changes of nature, these were not abstract notions; they were a call to awaken the spirit of justice. There is a time to build, he preached, but there is also a time to tear down the very structures that perpetuate oppression. Can you imagine the weight of those words as they settled in the hearts of his listeners? The air thick with anticipation, the scent of incense mingling with the palpable tension in the room.

Romero spoke boldly when silence was complicit. He challenged the faithful to discern the kairos of their own lives, to understand that some seasons demand more than passive endurance—they require prophetic action. Just as there is “a time for war and a time for peace,” there comes a moment when standing idly by becomes an affront to the very essence of faith. In those courageous words, Romero ignited a movement, reminding each person that they, too, are called to rise, to act, and to seek justice in the darkest of times. As he stood at that pulpit, he embodied the very spirit of hope and conviction, urging his followers to join in the relentless pursuit of righteousness. Would we, too, be as brave when our kairos arrives?