It was at the get together after the Evening of Recollection for Men by the Prelature of Opus Dei this past Friday that God chose to remind me about the need for humility.
A few men were discussing the challenges of business travel including the merits of various airlines, techniques for quickly passing through security and our favorite and least favorite destinations. I was lamenting the approach to one particular airport where the aircraft drops precipitously onto the runway after having hardly completed a harrowing one hundred eighty degree turn. One of the gentlemen with whom I was conversing perked up and offered some insight as to what the pilots typically do on that particular approach.
Me: Oh, do you fly much for business?
Other Man: Yes, quite a bit.
Me: What do you do?
Other Man: I fly the plane.
There was a brief moment of tension on my part before everyone started laughing. There I was going on about the intricacies of landing an aircraft at New York's LaGuardia Airport to a man who actually does it regularly. Like I said, God has a way of reminding me to be humble. Thank you for being gentle with me this time, Lord.
And God's gentle reminder came to me one other time this week as someone mentioned this blog in a very positive light.
I'll soon begin facilitating a small-group of men as part of the Great Adventure Bible Study which our parish is rolling out. This blog was mentioned by the leader of the effort at our parish as a resource where one can go to learn the biblical basis for Catholic beliefs. Not expecting the positive comment, I was actually quite humbled, at least for the moment, and fumbled a little as I tired to come up with a suitable response. I mentioned that at one point not too long ago, I was -this- close to leaving the Catholic Church, all for want of a few minutes of explanation about the biblical basis for Church authority or any one of several other doctrines. Then, with foot-in-mouth form that would make an olympic gymnast proud, I said something about going "Toe to toe" with Baptists or something like that.
A brief discussion ensued about apologetics in general and God's first hint at my need for humility came when the only other male present stated that he used to be a Baptist. (Note to self: suburban Atlanta is still the buckle of the Bible-belt. Know your audience and don't assume anything)
Then Diane spoke.
In a few short words, God used her to remind me that my faith is a gift and had it been left up to me, I would now be a member of the non-denominational RiverWater Church on highway 92 where the coffee is free, the rock band is awesome, and the baptism and communion are only symbolic.
Many of these (Protestants) are people with great gifts. When the Churches of the world finally unite, they will come into the Catholic Church and we will not be diminished one bit. The Church will be built up by their gifts.
God brought a few things to mind as I reflected on Dian's words...
Southern style Evangelical Christians have a burning love for Jesus in their hearts. Insofar as that love mistakes strong emotion for the presence of the Holy Spirit or good times for God's grace, that love is somewhat blind, or at least in need of strong contact lenses. Nonetheless, for many Evangelical Christians this "Consuming fire" is very real. I know this because I've experienced it in my own soul and by the grace of God, still have it. I pray frequently that it never goes away and like the song on the sickly-sweet generically Christian radio station, I sometimes pray, "God, remind me what it was like on that day when I first met you."
Secular society often views this enthusiasm for Jesus as cartoonish. We have all heard of, or perhaps even used some derivative of the term "Bible thumping Jesus freak". Again, I was almost one, until I gained the quiet confidence that comes with receiving the very real body and blood of Jesus Christ himself. It is impossible to explain to non-Christians and to some Catholics alike however, the very real love for Jesus which would make one follow him off a cliff or through a raging inferno.
...or the love for God which would cause one to leap with joy wearing almost nothing.
...or the love for God which would cause one to leap with joy wearing almost nothing.
Then David, girt with a linen apron, came dancing before the LORD with abandon, as he and all the Israelites were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and to the sound of the horn. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Saul's daughter Michal looked down through the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart. (2 Samuel 14-16)
It's not that many Catholics don't have this burning love nor that many Evangelicals are not simply going through the motions, joining "happy-clappy" Buckhead Church or some other fashionable worship center because they have the best valet parking, but Protestantism, especially the more Evangelical forms, has a certain willingness to embrace public displays of faith without the slightest concern for what society or the neighbors might think. Putting aside the cartoonish Jesus freaks we have all experienced, I recall how, early in my Christian walk, I had struck up a conversation with a man who although clearly younger than I, was more mature in his faith. I voiced my wish to have his type of faith and his response was to drop his computer bag, grab me by both shoulders and say, "Let's pray about it. Father in heaven, we come before you..." There we were, two men standing not twenty five feet from the main entrance to IBM's Southeastern headquarters, one Catholic - embarrassed and nervously looking about while a Southern Baptists prayed over him with his eyes closed as ladies in high heeled shoes walked by and smiled.
I had studied scripture for about a year with a typically southern mix of non-denominational "Bible Christians" and Southern Baptists. Although it was their pastor's mistaken doctrines about baptism which started my turn back toward Rome, these Christians had a love for scripture as deep as my love for the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I believe that the Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ himself, with the mission, the authority and means to bring all men to salvation. As the authority of the Church is Jesus Christ himself, my love for the Church is inseparable from my love for God. This belief infuriates one of my friends but it is really not very different from his belief that the Bible is the ultimate authority on matters of religious truth and the love he has for the Bible which results.
This deep love for God's word is testified to by the way in which many Protestants seem to have memorized almost the whole Bible. Attempts to understand individual verses outside of their greater sense in terms of the rest of scripture and literalist interpretations of these individual verses in the absence of historical, economic, political and social context under which the authors of scripture and their audience operated has resulted in some very wild interpretations of scripture indeed - one has only to watch an hour of just about any TV Evangelist in order to see this in action. But it is this deep love for and knowledge of scripture which many Protestants have is undeniable.
It is difficult to imagine what will happen when this deep knowledge of scripture is integrated with the fullness of truth which only the Catholic Church possesses. It is impossible to underestimate the effect on secular society which the integration of a willingness to publicly profess faith with true Catholic doctrine will have. The implications of so many "Jesus freaks" coming to the Eucharist is unimaginable.
Think of what it will be like when seventeen million Southern Baptists come to the realization that Mary is the Mediatrix of all graces and begin praying the rosary to end abortion. Think of what it will be like to have an army of former Jehovah's Witnesses going door to door to encourage people to accept Jesus and go to confession. Think of what what can be accomplished in the world when organizations like Samaritan's Purse and the Salvation Army unite with Catholic Charities. Think of the blessings we will all receive when the members of twenty five thousand non-Catholic denominations all gather for Eucharistic adoration. Think of the parking problems. Think of the shortage of priests!
Years ago, a priest said to me, "These terrorists wouldn't be able to touch us if all Christians united under the Pope." The statement seemed odd to me at the time but now seems oddly prophetic and something for which I long.
Stephen Ray, in his talk about the Gospel of John, interprets Chapter 21 as a story of the end of time. In painting this picture of the end of time, Stephen Ray notes that they disciples are fishing and at Jesus' direction, catch a net full of 153 fish. St. Jerome said that 153 represents all the nations known at the time so that the net, which represents the Church, catches people from every nation, race and tongue. Peter the Pope then single handedly drags the net to shore and hands it to Jesus who is cooking a meal - the marriage supper of the lamb - for the disciples.
So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come, have breakfast." And none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they realized it was the Lord. (John 21:11-12)
Stephen Ray correctly notes that the Greek word for tear is "Scism." At the end of time, the Church will be placed at Jesus' feet and all men who are saved through that Church will dine with Jesus. That Church will be united - without scism. This is how St. John ends the story and as Stephen Ray says, "It's good to know the end of the story because we win."
I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:20-23)
Jesus prayed for unity. How it will happen on earth is not clear but united Church at the end of time is a certainty. I long for the day, and hope I live to see it, when I can stand in line to receive the Eucharist with my friends who are now Protestant and to see the Church renewed by the gifts they will bring.
Reminded that my faith is a gift which I have done nothing to merit, I'm grateful for Dian's words and for God having shown me humility through them.
-Tim-
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