Thursday, August 4, 2011

Being Catholic means being above your own time

Pastor Peters writes an insightful blog post wondering about how the Church has been slow in addressing the impact of technology upon human life. It's a very good post... and it got me thinking... and I do like the post even though I am going to end up disagreeing with it's thrust.

We worry about the Church too much. We worry that our ethics, our approach, our this or that isn't keeping up with the times. Some worry that we aren't staying "cool" enough. Some worry that we aren't counteracting the spirit of the times quickly enough. We sit and we ponder the signs of the times and wonder what we in the Church are to do.

What are we to do? Same thing we've always done. Hear Preaching. Receive the Supper. Show love to the neighbor.

Really - does the Truth that we proclaim change? No. Do the problems that we face really change... or are they just once again the impact of sin that has hounded us since Eden? Same old, same old.

The old evil foe loves to attack us with angst. Satan loves to try to make us think that no one understands, that things are so different and so much harder for us, that the old solutions won't work, or that if we don't make things go back to the old ways everything will fall apart.

But we are part of the Church Catholic - the Church not only in all places but in all times. The Church transcends our particular culture with its quirks (for good or for ill). And the Church will endure.

Sometimes we are so near-sighted. We get stuck in our own time, our own issues. Don't we read Judges? The book covers 400 years -- and we see ups and downs. We see that all through the Old Testament. The Church still endures. God still runs His Church. It's not a matter of what we must do - He is still God, He is still in control.

Let us simply strive to be faithful. Let us simply strive to marvel more at the wonders of God's love for us. Let us strive to be caring and compassionate however we are.

And then... let God tend to the Church and give her growth as He wills.

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