Jesu Juva.
I'm thinking much about "freedom" these days because I'm concerned about how the current administration of the federal government is trying to impose the HHS Mandate which would violate the religious freedom of Americans and how this issue brings to light the mission of the Church. The Church is working to combat this evil. I am grateful for the clear and active voice of the Church. I am also aware that each of us individual Christians must also take a stand. I embrace The Teachings of The Church, and, as pertains to this issue, as is articulated by the American Bishops. Please see the USCCB website.
What I find particularly interesting and challenging about this issue, for myself, at this time, is how it makes clear that while my Calling is to follow Christ, that call also challenges me to be the best citizen I can be. The call to citizenship as a Christian was not so clear when I was a Mennonite. I'm not saying that it can't have been so or that my experience is particularly representative of American Mennonites in general, and I am certainly not claiming to know what Mennonites currently teach re such matters. What I am reflecting upon is how, when I was a Mennonite Christian (in the 60's and 70's), I thought more about how my call to follow Christ meant more of "being in the world but not of the world," and how the interpretation of that teaching seemed to highlight more of the "but not of." In other words, what I gathered from the explicit teaching from the Mennonite community and the implicit teaching from Mennonites' example was focused on how to avoid the evil influences of "the World," and how to not become entangled in "Worldly" alliances, while living in and serving "the World."
I'm not sure that Mennonite teaching and Catholic teaching are opposite or even opposed in these matters; however, the emphasis is quite different. Catholic teaching and interpretation of "being in the world but not of the world" puts a heavier emphasis on "being in the world" by 1) understanding that all Creation is Good because God created it so; 2) the life of humanity is to be compassionately embraced because Christ is God-en-fleshed: God saw fit to become one of us, so we could become One w/ Him; 3) Christ embraced the cross, dying for all humanity: rather than avoid or fight off evil, He took it upon Himself; in Christ we too are called to participate in the redemption of the world by overcoming evil w/ Love. My personal understanding of what I am learning as a Catholic is that following Christ's call to be His faithful disciple is much more messy than what I understood it to be when I was younger.
An example of this is how to participate in the public/civic sphere of government, political discussions, and life-style choices that impact community. Before becoming Catholic, I often chose to not participate because I saw governmental, political, and often civic institutions and activities as polluted with un-Christian agendas, and I did not want to compromise my obedience to Christ by associating w/ things that weren't pure. Granted, this is an ideal that is impossible to attain while in human flesh! Even so, making this one's life direction is quite possible, and there was a time when I believed this was the heart of Christ's call: to be Holy.
Now my understanding of Christ's call to follow Him, to allow Him to be present in the world today through me, is quite different. I believe Christ calls us to go where life is "messy": to go where people are hurting, to go to the people who are not leading holy lives, to get involved w/ the chaos of the worldly World, and in the midst of hurt, sin, chaos, bring Christ's healing, forgiveness, truth, Light and Love. And it will cost us. It will cost me first of all the illusion that my holiness could ever be attained through separation from that which is unholy. My holiness can only become real and present as I die to self (including illusory and idolatrous self-images), and live in Christ. Christ, while pure and holy, chooses to associate, embrace, become involved w/ the messy nitty-gritty of being human. Christ became broken for us. The path to holiness is through brokenness.
I didn't want to be broken! I thought I was broken through my own sins and through hurts done to me by others, and that my relationship w/ Christ would be all about being healed and becoming whole. Well, all of that is still true. But now Christ calls me to freely choose being a part of a broken world so that I can become a channel of His salvific healing and transformation for others.
I'm not suggesting that I am special in any way and that this call is particular to me. I am suggesting that if we follow Christ, His Holy Spirit will grow us in His Likeness and we will be invited to be broken for others. I recognize that how we are "broken" may be different for each of us, but it will certainly be messy!
I hope to take up this theme in my next blog-post and explore in more detail what this means (or might mean) specifically for my life at this time.
Solo Dei Gloria!
I'm thinking much about "freedom" these days because I'm concerned about how the current administration of the federal government is trying to impose the HHS Mandate which would violate the religious freedom of Americans and how this issue brings to light the mission of the Church. The Church is working to combat this evil. I am grateful for the clear and active voice of the Church. I am also aware that each of us individual Christians must also take a stand. I embrace The Teachings of The Church, and, as pertains to this issue, as is articulated by the American Bishops. Please see the USCCB website.
What I find particularly interesting and challenging about this issue, for myself, at this time, is how it makes clear that while my Calling is to follow Christ, that call also challenges me to be the best citizen I can be. The call to citizenship as a Christian was not so clear when I was a Mennonite. I'm not saying that it can't have been so or that my experience is particularly representative of American Mennonites in general, and I am certainly not claiming to know what Mennonites currently teach re such matters. What I am reflecting upon is how, when I was a Mennonite Christian (in the 60's and 70's), I thought more about how my call to follow Christ meant more of "being in the world but not of the world," and how the interpretation of that teaching seemed to highlight more of the "but not of." In other words, what I gathered from the explicit teaching from the Mennonite community and the implicit teaching from Mennonites' example was focused on how to avoid the evil influences of "the World," and how to not become entangled in "Worldly" alliances, while living in and serving "the World."
I'm not sure that Mennonite teaching and Catholic teaching are opposite or even opposed in these matters; however, the emphasis is quite different. Catholic teaching and interpretation of "being in the world but not of the world" puts a heavier emphasis on "being in the world" by 1) understanding that all Creation is Good because God created it so; 2) the life of humanity is to be compassionately embraced because Christ is God-en-fleshed: God saw fit to become one of us, so we could become One w/ Him; 3) Christ embraced the cross, dying for all humanity: rather than avoid or fight off evil, He took it upon Himself; in Christ we too are called to participate in the redemption of the world by overcoming evil w/ Love. My personal understanding of what I am learning as a Catholic is that following Christ's call to be His faithful disciple is much more messy than what I understood it to be when I was younger.
An example of this is how to participate in the public/civic sphere of government, political discussions, and life-style choices that impact community. Before becoming Catholic, I often chose to not participate because I saw governmental, political, and often civic institutions and activities as polluted with un-Christian agendas, and I did not want to compromise my obedience to Christ by associating w/ things that weren't pure. Granted, this is an ideal that is impossible to attain while in human flesh! Even so, making this one's life direction is quite possible, and there was a time when I believed this was the heart of Christ's call: to be Holy.
Now my understanding of Christ's call to follow Him, to allow Him to be present in the world today through me, is quite different. I believe Christ calls us to go where life is "messy": to go where people are hurting, to go to the people who are not leading holy lives, to get involved w/ the chaos of the worldly World, and in the midst of hurt, sin, chaos, bring Christ's healing, forgiveness, truth, Light and Love. And it will cost us. It will cost me first of all the illusion that my holiness could ever be attained through separation from that which is unholy. My holiness can only become real and present as I die to self (including illusory and idolatrous self-images), and live in Christ. Christ, while pure and holy, chooses to associate, embrace, become involved w/ the messy nitty-gritty of being human. Christ became broken for us. The path to holiness is through brokenness.
I didn't want to be broken! I thought I was broken through my own sins and through hurts done to me by others, and that my relationship w/ Christ would be all about being healed and becoming whole. Well, all of that is still true. But now Christ calls me to freely choose being a part of a broken world so that I can become a channel of His salvific healing and transformation for others.
I'm not suggesting that I am special in any way and that this call is particular to me. I am suggesting that if we follow Christ, His Holy Spirit will grow us in His Likeness and we will be invited to be broken for others. I recognize that how we are "broken" may be different for each of us, but it will certainly be messy!
I hope to take up this theme in my next blog-post and explore in more detail what this means (or might mean) specifically for my life at this time.
Solo Dei Gloria!
