The looks I get when I tell people confession is my favorite sacrament… confession gets no respect.
But that’s because sin gets no respect.
The geniuses of our time have ‘figured out’ how Catholicism hooks people: it makes them feel guilty and then offers the cure. It dispenses the poison (guilt) to which it offers the only antidote in town (salvation).
That’s why were not supposed to feel guilty about our behavior; but only ‘accept ourselves,’ get counseling or some new pill. Morality is being clinicalized, rationalized, pharmacologized away. The only remaining sin in the modern world is that of feeling guilt.
But sin is real, and until we appreciate its gravity we cannot possibly know the grace of God’s mercy. Richard Rohr writes:
“Until you come to the point when you realize how many people you’ve hurt and how you’ve kept your own self back from truth and light by your own sin; so you want to cry over it—you haven’t really seen how bad sin is, how dark it can be, and how much it can keep you back from God and from truth.”
When a growing awareness of this truth weighs upon our conscience we experience guilt—which is a sign of a healthy conscience rather than a pathology. I would argue that the greater pathology is the need to rationalize away the inner life of the spirit. But unfortunately, modern man seems to have declared war on his own soul. In one of my favorite quotes on the spiritual life, Eric Voegelin explains why this may be:
“Ontologically, the substance of things hoped for is nowhere to be found but in faith itself; and, epistemologically, there is no proof for things unseen but again this very faith. The bond is tenuous, indeed, and it may snap easily, The life of the soul in openness towards God, the waiting, the periods of aridity and dullness, the guilt and despondency, contrition and repentance, forsaken and hope against hope, the silent stirrings of love and grace, trembling on the verge of certainty which if gained, is loss—the lightness of this fabric may prove too heavy a burden for men who lust after the massively possessive experience.”
Spiritual growth then involves turning towards the Divine Ground (Voegelin’s term for God), which is turning towards Reality itself. And the path from here to there runs directly through our weakness, directly through our sin. We cannot move closer to God without dealing with what obstructs us from God—and this is where the sacrament of reconciliation is critical. In the confessional we call ourselves to account before God, asking forgiveness for having separated ourselves from His love.
But this is not a masochistic act: the joy and the point of this sacrament is in the sunshine after the rain—our reconciliation with God. Every confession is literally a homecoming, and we are all Prodigal Sons and Daughters. Confession sounds brutal to modern ears—deafened by the hysterics of guilt—but this is truly a gift of healing: so much so that St Isaac of Syria would pray in gratitude: “It is THOU who grantest repentance and a sorrowing heart to the sinner who repents and THOU who easest his heart of the weight of sin upon it, thanks to the comfort of sorrowing and the gift of tears.”
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
THE DEVIL’S SECOND GREATEST TRICK
Q: What is the Devil’s greatest trick?
A: To make us think he doesn’t exist.
But today the Devil has a greater trick: Convincing us that nothing is more ‘Christian’ than abolishing Christianity.
We hear it all the time: in order to be ‘open’, progressive, modern, even democratic, we must abandon the notion that The Truth exists and accept that postmodern view that truth is relative to persons, cultures, and of course, religions. Pope Benedict notes how this view has grown immeasurably in stature: “In a sense, relativism, in certain respects, has become the real modern religion.”
Benedict continues; “The belief that there is indeed a truth, valid and binding within history itself in the figure of Jesus Christ and in the faith of the church is referred to as Fundamentalism.” And of course, Fundamentalism is the cardinal sin of modern civilization.
Hence the Devil’s trick—to convince us that we must give up being orthodox Christians in order to be truly enlightened and peaceable persons.
But this view also takes on the most serious political connotations as Bush and Bin Laden are lumped together and portrayed as ‘proof’ of the modern mantra that Fundamentalism Kills. This is also known as the ‘John Lennon’ school of thought: Imagine no religion to die for, and the world will live as one… (that is, until the murderous barbarism of atheistic Communism debunked that fantasy). Relativism also provides the philosophical underpinnings for the abortion movement, embodied in the slogan, ‘My Body, My choice.’
But as Leonard Cohen sings, “The Dealer’s got you thinking, that it’s either black or white / Thank God it’s not that simple, in my secret life.” The choice between Relativist and Fundamentalism is of course a false choice, designed to stack the deck against Christians lacking the theological savvy to parry the blow.
The Catholic position however presents a third way, referred to by religious philosophers as Religious Inclusivism—which is the position articulated by the Second Vatican Council. It maintains that Truth indeed exists, and is present in its fullness in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, but it does not discredit that elements of truth and grace are also present in the great religions of the world, especially in Islam and Judaism, the ‘People of the Book.’ But until Catholics put in the effort to actually get to know the teachings of their faith, the currents of Relativism will continue to dwindle the ranks of the faithful.
I cannot over-emphasize the gravity of this question. And it is not just a matter for navel-gazing philosophers and theologians: hanging in the balance is not only the salvation of souls and the protection of the unborn, but also the fate of millions in the mid-east. Will we lose our nerve and abandon the region to Terrorists and Mullahs, backed by a nuclear capable Iran; or will we have faith in the universal values of freedom and human dignity and gather the conviction to bring stability, democracy and human rights to the region?
As it turns out, the fate of the Muslim world depends upon how we see ourselves:
If we succumb to the pathological currents of western self-hatred--seeing ourselves as agents of Big Oil on a Neo-Imperialist 'Crusade'--then we will pull out because we don't believe in our cause. But if we believe in the good of our way of life and see the universal value of a free and open society, then we will push ahead in this Great Transformation.
---------------
To anyone interested in exploring this question further I recommend: WITHOUT ROOTS by Pope Benedict and Marcello Pera.
A: To make us think he doesn’t exist.
But today the Devil has a greater trick: Convincing us that nothing is more ‘Christian’ than abolishing Christianity.
We hear it all the time: in order to be ‘open’, progressive, modern, even democratic, we must abandon the notion that The Truth exists and accept that postmodern view that truth is relative to persons, cultures, and of course, religions. Pope Benedict notes how this view has grown immeasurably in stature: “In a sense, relativism, in certain respects, has become the real modern religion.”
Benedict continues; “The belief that there is indeed a truth, valid and binding within history itself in the figure of Jesus Christ and in the faith of the church is referred to as Fundamentalism.” And of course, Fundamentalism is the cardinal sin of modern civilization.
Hence the Devil’s trick—to convince us that we must give up being orthodox Christians in order to be truly enlightened and peaceable persons.
But this view also takes on the most serious political connotations as Bush and Bin Laden are lumped together and portrayed as ‘proof’ of the modern mantra that Fundamentalism Kills. This is also known as the ‘John Lennon’ school of thought: Imagine no religion to die for, and the world will live as one… (that is, until the murderous barbarism of atheistic Communism debunked that fantasy). Relativism also provides the philosophical underpinnings for the abortion movement, embodied in the slogan, ‘My Body, My choice.’
But as Leonard Cohen sings, “The Dealer’s got you thinking, that it’s either black or white / Thank God it’s not that simple, in my secret life.” The choice between Relativist and Fundamentalism is of course a false choice, designed to stack the deck against Christians lacking the theological savvy to parry the blow.
The Catholic position however presents a third way, referred to by religious philosophers as Religious Inclusivism—which is the position articulated by the Second Vatican Council. It maintains that Truth indeed exists, and is present in its fullness in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, but it does not discredit that elements of truth and grace are also present in the great religions of the world, especially in Islam and Judaism, the ‘People of the Book.’ But until Catholics put in the effort to actually get to know the teachings of their faith, the currents of Relativism will continue to dwindle the ranks of the faithful.
I cannot over-emphasize the gravity of this question. And it is not just a matter for navel-gazing philosophers and theologians: hanging in the balance is not only the salvation of souls and the protection of the unborn, but also the fate of millions in the mid-east. Will we lose our nerve and abandon the region to Terrorists and Mullahs, backed by a nuclear capable Iran; or will we have faith in the universal values of freedom and human dignity and gather the conviction to bring stability, democracy and human rights to the region?
As it turns out, the fate of the Muslim world depends upon how we see ourselves:
If we succumb to the pathological currents of western self-hatred--seeing ourselves as agents of Big Oil on a Neo-Imperialist 'Crusade'--then we will pull out because we don't believe in our cause. But if we believe in the good of our way of life and see the universal value of a free and open society, then we will push ahead in this Great Transformation.
---------------
To anyone interested in exploring this question further I recommend: WITHOUT ROOTS by Pope Benedict and Marcello Pera.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
ANOTHER PORN MYTH EXPLODED
Once First Amendment arguments are exhausted, advocates of pornography will often turn to the ‘substitution theory’ to defend this horrible industry. The argument goes something like this: “Although we may not like porn or find it distasteful, isn’t it better that people who have these deviant desires channel them through a ‘fantasy outlet’ rather than acting them out in society?” In this view, porn is actually doing a public service by redirecting deviant sexual desire towards the realm of the imaginary.
But this argument is coming under attack by an alarming new study that was just reported in the New York Times, which found that 85% men who downloaded child pornography had a history of sexually abusing children, from inappropriate touching to rape. The research was carried out by psychologists at the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons and is the first in-depth survey of such online offenders' sexual behaviour done by prison therapists who were actively performing treatment.
What we may reasonably extrapolate from this empirical evidence is that porn does not redirect desire away from society towards the harmless realm of the imaginary—rather the opposite—porn could in fact be nurturing deviant desire, turning men into monsters. And yes, it is true that this study was specific to pedophiles, but are they so different in terms of their mechanisms of desire? Why should we not also extrapolate that porn distorts sexual behavior in general? After such findings, can anyone really believe that all the obscene smut out there continues to orbit in some harmless fantasy dimension?
And as porn becomes increasingly brutal, the danger becomes ever graver. Prof Robert Jensen of the University of Texas has chronicled the shocking encroachment of explicit cruelty and brutality into mainstream porn. In his article, “A cruel edge: The painful truth about today's pornography -- and what men can do about it” he writes: “When the legal restrictions on pornography slowly receded through the 1970s and ‘80s, and the presentation of sex on the screen was by itself no longer quite so illicit, anal sex became a standard feature. Anal sex was seen as something most women don’t want; it had an edge to it. When anal sex became routine in pornography, the gonzo genre started pushing the boundaries into things like double-penetrations and gag-inducing oral sex – again, acts that men believe women generally will not want. The more pornography becomes normalized and mainstreamed, the more pornography has to search for that edge.”
As far as combating the scourge of pornography, Jensen is realistic about the challenges, yet maintains the moral high-ground: “To criticize pornography is not repressive. To speak about what one knows and feels and dreams is, in fact, liberating. We are not free if we aren’t free to talk about our desire for an egalitarian intimacy and sexuality that would reject pain and humiliation. That is not prudishness or censorship. It is an attempt to claim the best parts of our common humanity -- love, caring, empathy, solidarity. To do that is not to limit anyone. It is to say that people matter more than the profits of pornographers and the pleasure of pornography consumers. It is to say, simply, that women count as much as men.”
To this I can only add, “Amen.”
-------------------
To view the news article visit:
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/237841
For Robert Jensen’s, “The painful truth about today's pornography -- and what men can do about it” visit:
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/%7Erjensen/freelance/pornography&cruelty.htm
But this argument is coming under attack by an alarming new study that was just reported in the New York Times, which found that 85% men who downloaded child pornography had a history of sexually abusing children, from inappropriate touching to rape. The research was carried out by psychologists at the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons and is the first in-depth survey of such online offenders' sexual behaviour done by prison therapists who were actively performing treatment.
What we may reasonably extrapolate from this empirical evidence is that porn does not redirect desire away from society towards the harmless realm of the imaginary—rather the opposite—porn could in fact be nurturing deviant desire, turning men into monsters. And yes, it is true that this study was specific to pedophiles, but are they so different in terms of their mechanisms of desire? Why should we not also extrapolate that porn distorts sexual behavior in general? After such findings, can anyone really believe that all the obscene smut out there continues to orbit in some harmless fantasy dimension?
And as porn becomes increasingly brutal, the danger becomes ever graver. Prof Robert Jensen of the University of Texas has chronicled the shocking encroachment of explicit cruelty and brutality into mainstream porn. In his article, “A cruel edge: The painful truth about today's pornography -- and what men can do about it” he writes: “When the legal restrictions on pornography slowly receded through the 1970s and ‘80s, and the presentation of sex on the screen was by itself no longer quite so illicit, anal sex became a standard feature. Anal sex was seen as something most women don’t want; it had an edge to it. When anal sex became routine in pornography, the gonzo genre started pushing the boundaries into things like double-penetrations and gag-inducing oral sex – again, acts that men believe women generally will not want. The more pornography becomes normalized and mainstreamed, the more pornography has to search for that edge.”
As far as combating the scourge of pornography, Jensen is realistic about the challenges, yet maintains the moral high-ground: “To criticize pornography is not repressive. To speak about what one knows and feels and dreams is, in fact, liberating. We are not free if we aren’t free to talk about our desire for an egalitarian intimacy and sexuality that would reject pain and humiliation. That is not prudishness or censorship. It is an attempt to claim the best parts of our common humanity -- love, caring, empathy, solidarity. To do that is not to limit anyone. It is to say that people matter more than the profits of pornographers and the pleasure of pornography consumers. It is to say, simply, that women count as much as men.”
To this I can only add, “Amen.”
-------------------
To view the news article visit:
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/237841
For Robert Jensen’s, “The painful truth about today's pornography -- and what men can do about it” visit:
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/%7Erjensen/freelance/pornography&cruelty.htm
Thursday, July 19, 2007
ON FORGIVENESS
Forgiveness is something I've long struggled with... definitely.
It was the question of responsibility that got me. I was afraid that forgiving meant condoning the person. So if someone was violent and hurt me, I thought forgiving was sending the wrong message, which was: "It's ok... I accept your violence, you dont have to change." And in that sense, i feared forgiveness could actuallty be dangerous.
So I would only forgive if i saw some kind of change in the person.
But then Jesus says "forgive 70 x 7." which basically means, forgive without limits. So how could it be ethical to withhold forgiveness? Can you forgive freely? Have you known the poverty of your forgiveness?
But that was my problem -- thinking of forgiveness as a stamp of approval -- like, "Now you can be forgiven BECAUSE youve changed, apologised, repented, or whatever. NOW youre worthy...'
In time I learned I this understanding was false. Not because it wasn't justified, but because it was failing. Because i was failing. Witholding forgveness wasn't healing anything. There were no fruits. It was only hardening people against me, and vice versa.
So now my approach is far less dramatic. It doesnt depend on massive change or conditions. Its just saying to the person "You've hurt me, but im not giving up on you. You're still in the circle."
And its realizing the circle is filled with people who are imperfect and that one day might hurt me -- just as I am imperfect and have hurt so many people whose circles ive stood inside.
*
And the mystery of it? All the while I thought forgiveness meant opening the door to others. But really, it was the door that was being opened to me. Because as I let those people back into my circle, it was really me that was being let back into the big circle, the circle of Love, of Being, of God -- whatever you want to call it.
And I pray that one day, all our circles may be complete.
It was the question of responsibility that got me. I was afraid that forgiving meant condoning the person. So if someone was violent and hurt me, I thought forgiving was sending the wrong message, which was: "It's ok... I accept your violence, you dont have to change." And in that sense, i feared forgiveness could actuallty be dangerous.
So I would only forgive if i saw some kind of change in the person.
But then Jesus says "forgive 70 x 7." which basically means, forgive without limits. So how could it be ethical to withhold forgiveness? Can you forgive freely? Have you known the poverty of your forgiveness?
But that was my problem -- thinking of forgiveness as a stamp of approval -- like, "Now you can be forgiven BECAUSE youve changed, apologised, repented, or whatever. NOW youre worthy...'
In time I learned I this understanding was false. Not because it wasn't justified, but because it was failing. Because i was failing. Witholding forgveness wasn't healing anything. There were no fruits. It was only hardening people against me, and vice versa.
So now my approach is far less dramatic. It doesnt depend on massive change or conditions. Its just saying to the person "You've hurt me, but im not giving up on you. You're still in the circle."
And its realizing the circle is filled with people who are imperfect and that one day might hurt me -- just as I am imperfect and have hurt so many people whose circles ive stood inside.
*
And the mystery of it? All the while I thought forgiveness meant opening the door to others. But really, it was the door that was being opened to me. Because as I let those people back into my circle, it was really me that was being let back into the big circle, the circle of Love, of Being, of God -- whatever you want to call it.
And I pray that one day, all our circles may be complete.
STILL, YA GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY
“You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride,
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.”
-Bob Dylan
To be perfectly honest, when I first heard Gotta Serve Somebody, Bob Dylan’s Born Again masterpiece, I was embarrassed for him. Here was the ambassador of progressive politics preaching a message of primitive dualism… black or white, good vs evil.
But how the times have a-changed.
Since Dec of 2005 I’ve been living and working in group homes for
people with special needs. I began at L’arche, living in a faith-based community centered on the lives of adults with developmental disabilities including Downs Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, as well as more general disorders. And as of this past May, I began another job in a foster home for children with behavioral and psychiatric disorders, often the result of neglect, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, bipolar disorder, etc.
What I’ve gathered from this experience is a profound realization about the nature of human growth as it relates to the core insight of Christianity. Let me start by clarifying this core spiritual insight which has been called the Law of the Cross. Our tradition teaches that Jesus redeems the world through his death and resurrection, and in faith we are called to take up our own cross. Thus in our own lives we walk the path that Jesus walked, turning hatred into love, harm into healing, injury into forgiveness. And we must constantly turn to God for the power to forgive, to love, and to be merciful when our impulses tell us otherwise.
But what is remarkable about the Christian faith and what makes it ring so true for me personally, is the universality of this spiritual maxim.
What I can say from having worked with people on the margins is that regardless of our lot in life—whether we have been born with Downs syndrome, come from a background of terrible abuse, or have been born healthy and privileged—the same dynamic of spiritual growth applies. No matter who we are, God is calling each and every one of us to let go of our hurts, disarm our hearts, and to become loving and merciful as our heavenly Father.
And of course progress is always relative; if the parable of the Prodigal Son tells us anything, it’s that God has a special place in His heart for those who are furthest from Him. From the perspective of God, the emotionally damaged teen who realizes that self-harm is not a good way to get attention or to deal with frustrations is just as significant as the investment banker who decides to be donate to charity or simply be kinder to his secretary. The path to spiritual growth is universal, even if we access it at different points.
We may however see this as an unrealistic if not cruel expectation for someone born into horrifying abuse or an overwhelmingly profound disability. To this I would say two things:
1) Trust in the hidden life of the spirit.
In extreme cases (take for example the recent Terri Schiavo case), a person may seem ‘trapped’ behind a disability, unable to move voluntarily or communicate in any way. We may even wonder if that person is experiencing any significant form of consciousness.
But even in those hardship cases we must never discount the hidden life of the spirit. We can only pray that those people are being inwardly consoled and nourished by the mercy of God.
2) With God, It’s Never Hopeless
When suffering seems empty and utterly destructive, lacking any possible redemptive value, we must resist the seduction of despair and trust that nothing is outside of God’s redemptive will. Everyday we see tragedy that challenges our faith: What kind of God could allow for that? Why is suffering so overwhelmingly destructive, rather than redemptive?
In these situations, hold to the bigger picture: perhaps in this life a person was unable to grow through adversity, but Christians believe that death is not the end. Thus the afterlife must be viewed in continuity with our purpose here on earth. Consider that the journey continues on the other side of death, so even if spiritual progress seemed limited on earth, our path to growth does not end. Even in those heartbreaking situations, God may be ‘writing straight with crooked lines.’
So now when I hear Dylan’s Gotta Serve Somebody, I can appreciate the wisdom of that ‘primitive’ world view, and I suppose that’s why it’s endured: if there was no truth to it I suppose people wouldn’t be singing about it—not to mention turning their lives around because of it—all these thousands of years later.
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side,
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair,
You may be somebody's mistress, may be somebody's heir
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.”
-Bob Dylan
To be perfectly honest, when I first heard Gotta Serve Somebody, Bob Dylan’s Born Again masterpiece, I was embarrassed for him. Here was the ambassador of progressive politics preaching a message of primitive dualism… black or white, good vs evil.
But how the times have a-changed.
Since Dec of 2005 I’ve been living and working in group homes for
people with special needs. I began at L’arche, living in a faith-based community centered on the lives of adults with developmental disabilities including Downs Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, as well as more general disorders. And as of this past May, I began another job in a foster home for children with behavioral and psychiatric disorders, often the result of neglect, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, bipolar disorder, etc.
What I’ve gathered from this experience is a profound realization about the nature of human growth as it relates to the core insight of Christianity. Let me start by clarifying this core spiritual insight which has been called the Law of the Cross. Our tradition teaches that Jesus redeems the world through his death and resurrection, and in faith we are called to take up our own cross. Thus in our own lives we walk the path that Jesus walked, turning hatred into love, harm into healing, injury into forgiveness. And we must constantly turn to God for the power to forgive, to love, and to be merciful when our impulses tell us otherwise.
But what is remarkable about the Christian faith and what makes it ring so true for me personally, is the universality of this spiritual maxim.
What I can say from having worked with people on the margins is that regardless of our lot in life—whether we have been born with Downs syndrome, come from a background of terrible abuse, or have been born healthy and privileged—the same dynamic of spiritual growth applies. No matter who we are, God is calling each and every one of us to let go of our hurts, disarm our hearts, and to become loving and merciful as our heavenly Father.
And of course progress is always relative; if the parable of the Prodigal Son tells us anything, it’s that God has a special place in His heart for those who are furthest from Him. From the perspective of God, the emotionally damaged teen who realizes that self-harm is not a good way to get attention or to deal with frustrations is just as significant as the investment banker who decides to be donate to charity or simply be kinder to his secretary. The path to spiritual growth is universal, even if we access it at different points.
We may however see this as an unrealistic if not cruel expectation for someone born into horrifying abuse or an overwhelmingly profound disability. To this I would say two things:
1) Trust in the hidden life of the spirit.
In extreme cases (take for example the recent Terri Schiavo case), a person may seem ‘trapped’ behind a disability, unable to move voluntarily or communicate in any way. We may even wonder if that person is experiencing any significant form of consciousness.
But even in those hardship cases we must never discount the hidden life of the spirit. We can only pray that those people are being inwardly consoled and nourished by the mercy of God.
2) With God, It’s Never Hopeless
When suffering seems empty and utterly destructive, lacking any possible redemptive value, we must resist the seduction of despair and trust that nothing is outside of God’s redemptive will. Everyday we see tragedy that challenges our faith: What kind of God could allow for that? Why is suffering so overwhelmingly destructive, rather than redemptive?
In these situations, hold to the bigger picture: perhaps in this life a person was unable to grow through adversity, but Christians believe that death is not the end. Thus the afterlife must be viewed in continuity with our purpose here on earth. Consider that the journey continues on the other side of death, so even if spiritual progress seemed limited on earth, our path to growth does not end. Even in those heartbreaking situations, God may be ‘writing straight with crooked lines.’
So now when I hear Dylan’s Gotta Serve Somebody, I can appreciate the wisdom of that ‘primitive’ world view, and I suppose that’s why it’s endured: if there was no truth to it I suppose people wouldn’t be singing about it—not to mention turning their lives around because of it—all these thousands of years later.
Monday, July 16, 2007
PORNOGRAPHY: DAMAGING THE SUPERNATURAL TEMPLATE
While much has been said of the harmful effects of pornography upon the individual, family and society, we do not hear nearly enough about its impact on the spiritual life. On this matter there is no greater commentator than Bishop Paul S. Loverde, author of the pastoral letter, “Bought With a Price: Pornography and the Attack on the Living Temple of God”.
His letter is anchored in the Beatitudes as Jesus promises, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8).” Christians believe that in heaven the veil is lifted and man contemplates God directly, as St Paul writes; “Here we see Him in a mirror dimly, but then face to face” (1 Cor 13:12). Hence, heaven in the Christian tradition has been called the ‘beatific vision’.
But this vision is more than just ‘seeing’. When Jesus says that the pure of heart will ‘see’ God, we have to understand the complexity of ‘sight’. Bishop Loverde describes this in both metaphorical and literal terms; metaphorically he is speaking of the intellectual capacity to see the wisdom of God, but also literally as Christians believe in the resurrection of the body. And on that Last Day, it will be that vision that delivers us: “We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 Jn 3:2) By gazing upon him we shall receive salvation—it is that vision itself that makes us blessed.
Now we are in a better position to appreciate the gravity of the pornography problem from a soteriological perspective. When our earthly vision is distorted by sin that contaminates our hearts, we distort a faculty crucial to our salvation:
“Perhaps worst of all, however, is the damage that pornography does to man’s “template” for the supernatural. Our natural vision in this world is the model for supernatural vision in the next. Once we have distorted or damaged that template, how will we understand the reality? Our Lord has given us the gift of sight with the intention that we ultimately may see Him. The sinful use of this faculty both warps our understanding of it and – worse still – cripples our ability to realize its fulfillment in heaven. What man should use for receiving the true vision of God and the beauty of His creation, he uses instead to consume false images of others in pornography. How can we understand the supernatural sight God desires for us – i.e. the contemplation of God in the beatific vision – once our natural sight has been damaged and distorted?” (BWP p.4)
Given the stakes, it is time to revive a debate that so many in our society—especially in Canada—consider ‘resolved’, and to join in Bishop Loverde’s prayer that, “we may ever more fully live out our God-given use of human sight.”
------------------------------
“Bought With a Price: Pornography and the Attack on the Living Temple of God” is available online:
http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/offices/communications/boughtprice.html
His letter is anchored in the Beatitudes as Jesus promises, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8).” Christians believe that in heaven the veil is lifted and man contemplates God directly, as St Paul writes; “Here we see Him in a mirror dimly, but then face to face” (1 Cor 13:12). Hence, heaven in the Christian tradition has been called the ‘beatific vision’.
But this vision is more than just ‘seeing’. When Jesus says that the pure of heart will ‘see’ God, we have to understand the complexity of ‘sight’. Bishop Loverde describes this in both metaphorical and literal terms; metaphorically he is speaking of the intellectual capacity to see the wisdom of God, but also literally as Christians believe in the resurrection of the body. And on that Last Day, it will be that vision that delivers us: “We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 Jn 3:2) By gazing upon him we shall receive salvation—it is that vision itself that makes us blessed.
Now we are in a better position to appreciate the gravity of the pornography problem from a soteriological perspective. When our earthly vision is distorted by sin that contaminates our hearts, we distort a faculty crucial to our salvation:
“Perhaps worst of all, however, is the damage that pornography does to man’s “template” for the supernatural. Our natural vision in this world is the model for supernatural vision in the next. Once we have distorted or damaged that template, how will we understand the reality? Our Lord has given us the gift of sight with the intention that we ultimately may see Him. The sinful use of this faculty both warps our understanding of it and – worse still – cripples our ability to realize its fulfillment in heaven. What man should use for receiving the true vision of God and the beauty of His creation, he uses instead to consume false images of others in pornography. How can we understand the supernatural sight God desires for us – i.e. the contemplation of God in the beatific vision – once our natural sight has been damaged and distorted?” (BWP p.4)
Given the stakes, it is time to revive a debate that so many in our society—especially in Canada—consider ‘resolved’, and to join in Bishop Loverde’s prayer that, “we may ever more fully live out our God-given use of human sight.”
------------------------------
“Bought With a Price: Pornography and the Attack on the Living Temple of God” is available online:
http://www.arlingtondiocese.org/offices/communications/boughtprice.html
ON FAITHLESS LOVE
Yesterday was a beautiful day and I was having a picnic with a couple of old friends—good friends and good people, though not Christians.
After a couple bottles of wine and lots of great stinky cheese, I asked my friend how his family was doing. He spoke of an ongoing feud between an uncle and his mom over a family cottage. Though the cottage was supposed to be equally shared, the uncle was trying to squeeze out his sister. Eventually they had to sell the property because they couldn’t resolve the dispute, which poisoned things between the two families.
But recently, the uncle had joined some kind of therapeutic group, and telephoned his sister to apologize for behaving so badly. My friend was moved by this, and then began passionately speaking of his own recent experience with a serious illness; “When I was in the hospital and I didn’t know if I was going to make it, I looked all around me and saw the people I loved, and thought; Man, it’s not about the money or the success—life is all about the love. Because in the end, that’s the only thing that’s real.”
The other friend and myself both nodded emphatically. His story had personal significance for me because it reminded me of my own conversion to Christianity. What awakened my faith was a realization that went something like this: The one thing I know to be true with every fiber of my being is that only Love can quench our deepest human longing. Love is the answer, and the truth about what it means to be human.
From there it was a short step to realizing that this was not my ‘own’ discovery—but the revelation at the very heart of Christianity; I read the holy books of every religion and discovered that nowhere else was love even remotely identified with God. So if my own experience of truth corresponded to this ancient religious tradition that goes back thousands of years, it was in fact verifying the truth of that tradition.
But the point I would like to make involves the following paradox: if we were to take an opinion poll, I would bet that the vast majority of people surveyed would agree to the following statement: “In the end, love is the only thing that really matters.” This sentiment is echoed ad nauseum in films, TV shows and pop songs to the point it has almost become a cliché: yet this is the same society in which Christianity is rapidly declining. In other words, while the heart of the Christian revelation has been largely accepted as true, we live in a culture that is aggressively rejecting the Christian faith.
How can this be?
This is an extremely complicated question and deserves a much longer treatment, but here I would just like to debunk a popular myth that is often associated with secular humanism: that this is not a Christian revelation at all—it’s just ‘common sense.’
If it were indeed ‘common sense’ it would be universal. I am sure that if you took our poll question to North Korea or to a tribe in Africa you would get much different answers: the most important things in life would probably be honor, success, a prosperous family etc. The reason ‘In the end, love is the only thing that matters’ makes us nod our heads in agreement is because Christianity is so deeply embedded in Western culture.
Let me close with a criticism and a cause for hope. First, it is utterly shocking that given our present climate of consciousness that the Gospel is not taking root. Why is it so difficult for us to take what is accepted as spiritually true in our culture and return it to the Christian tradition?
But it is also hard to imagine a more fertile soil than a culture that has already accepted the spiritual supremacy of love. With this in mind let us not be disheartened, but pray for the courage to share this extraordinary faith.
After a couple bottles of wine and lots of great stinky cheese, I asked my friend how his family was doing. He spoke of an ongoing feud between an uncle and his mom over a family cottage. Though the cottage was supposed to be equally shared, the uncle was trying to squeeze out his sister. Eventually they had to sell the property because they couldn’t resolve the dispute, which poisoned things between the two families.
But recently, the uncle had joined some kind of therapeutic group, and telephoned his sister to apologize for behaving so badly. My friend was moved by this, and then began passionately speaking of his own recent experience with a serious illness; “When I was in the hospital and I didn’t know if I was going to make it, I looked all around me and saw the people I loved, and thought; Man, it’s not about the money or the success—life is all about the love. Because in the end, that’s the only thing that’s real.”
The other friend and myself both nodded emphatically. His story had personal significance for me because it reminded me of my own conversion to Christianity. What awakened my faith was a realization that went something like this: The one thing I know to be true with every fiber of my being is that only Love can quench our deepest human longing. Love is the answer, and the truth about what it means to be human.
From there it was a short step to realizing that this was not my ‘own’ discovery—but the revelation at the very heart of Christianity; I read the holy books of every religion and discovered that nowhere else was love even remotely identified with God. So if my own experience of truth corresponded to this ancient religious tradition that goes back thousands of years, it was in fact verifying the truth of that tradition.
But the point I would like to make involves the following paradox: if we were to take an opinion poll, I would bet that the vast majority of people surveyed would agree to the following statement: “In the end, love is the only thing that really matters.” This sentiment is echoed ad nauseum in films, TV shows and pop songs to the point it has almost become a cliché: yet this is the same society in which Christianity is rapidly declining. In other words, while the heart of the Christian revelation has been largely accepted as true, we live in a culture that is aggressively rejecting the Christian faith.
How can this be?
This is an extremely complicated question and deserves a much longer treatment, but here I would just like to debunk a popular myth that is often associated with secular humanism: that this is not a Christian revelation at all—it’s just ‘common sense.’
If it were indeed ‘common sense’ it would be universal. I am sure that if you took our poll question to North Korea or to a tribe in Africa you would get much different answers: the most important things in life would probably be honor, success, a prosperous family etc. The reason ‘In the end, love is the only thing that matters’ makes us nod our heads in agreement is because Christianity is so deeply embedded in Western culture.
Let me close with a criticism and a cause for hope. First, it is utterly shocking that given our present climate of consciousness that the Gospel is not taking root. Why is it so difficult for us to take what is accepted as spiritually true in our culture and return it to the Christian tradition?
But it is also hard to imagine a more fertile soil than a culture that has already accepted the spiritual supremacy of love. With this in mind let us not be disheartened, but pray for the courage to share this extraordinary faith.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
SOME REFLECTIONS ON PRAYER
Recently I’ve had some insights into my own prayer life that others may also find helpful.
To prepare, I begin by just letting my mind wander freely for the first 5mins or so. As my mind tends to naturally race, doing this lets me focus better once prayer begins.
1) PRAY FOR THE DESIRE TO PRAY
God knows we are busy, distracted, and have a million things on our mind other than prayer. We need to be honest about that. Bringing forth this concern is liberating; awareness of our limitations allows us to move forward with integrity rather than forcing it. We then can relax in front of God and be ourselves, and this ultimately makes prayer deeper and more sustainable.
2) PRAY FOR THE ACCEPTANCE GOD’S LOVE
We preach a God of love, yet so often punish ourselves relentlessly when we stray from Him. If we’re not careful, prayer can turn into an echo chamber of self-criticism. How difficult it is to accept that we are still worthy of love? How difficult is it to accept forgiveness?
But without this acceptance there is no hope for us. Beating ourselves up will not bring us closer to God; this will only come by opening our hearts to His mercy.
Karl Rahner had this wonderful little prayer: “Lord, give me the strength and courage to be worthy of being called a Christian.” We often think of strength and courage as necessary for mighty deeds, but they are also required to simply allow ourselves to be loved.
Pray that we may truly accept the audacious reality at the heart of our faith: a God of love.
3) PRAY THAT WE MIGHT REFLECT THAT LOVE BACK TO THE WORLD
In conclusion, praying that we may reflect the fruits of prayer back to the world. A friend once said to me that Christianity was not about shutting ourselves away huddled in front of a candle; that it was about being out in the world to love and serve others. I replied that I huddle in front of a candle in prayer SO THAT I might love and serve others.
Etty Hillesum wrote; “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.” May that be the fruit of prayer; to gather ourselves in the presence of God so we might bring that peace into this troubled world.
To prepare, I begin by just letting my mind wander freely for the first 5mins or so. As my mind tends to naturally race, doing this lets me focus better once prayer begins.
1) PRAY FOR THE DESIRE TO PRAY
God knows we are busy, distracted, and have a million things on our mind other than prayer. We need to be honest about that. Bringing forth this concern is liberating; awareness of our limitations allows us to move forward with integrity rather than forcing it. We then can relax in front of God and be ourselves, and this ultimately makes prayer deeper and more sustainable.
2) PRAY FOR THE ACCEPTANCE GOD’S LOVE
We preach a God of love, yet so often punish ourselves relentlessly when we stray from Him. If we’re not careful, prayer can turn into an echo chamber of self-criticism. How difficult it is to accept that we are still worthy of love? How difficult is it to accept forgiveness?
But without this acceptance there is no hope for us. Beating ourselves up will not bring us closer to God; this will only come by opening our hearts to His mercy.
Karl Rahner had this wonderful little prayer: “Lord, give me the strength and courage to be worthy of being called a Christian.” We often think of strength and courage as necessary for mighty deeds, but they are also required to simply allow ourselves to be loved.
Pray that we may truly accept the audacious reality at the heart of our faith: a God of love.
3) PRAY THAT WE MIGHT REFLECT THAT LOVE BACK TO THE WORLD
In conclusion, praying that we may reflect the fruits of prayer back to the world. A friend once said to me that Christianity was not about shutting ourselves away huddled in front of a candle; that it was about being out in the world to love and serve others. I replied that I huddle in front of a candle in prayer SO THAT I might love and serve others.
Etty Hillesum wrote; “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.” May that be the fruit of prayer; to gather ourselves in the presence of God so we might bring that peace into this troubled world.
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