“Whom are we going to evangelize if this is the way we act?”
I was on a conference call when I happened to glance over at an opened copy of The Joy of the Gospel. This single
question nearly jumped off the page. It began to gnaw at me. What does an outsider see when looking in at church people? What do
non-Catholics see when gazing into the world of Catholicism?
The more I thought about it, the more it all came into
focus. As the Church struggles to retain its aging population, much less to
attract the younger generations, we routinely point to outside factors which,
we argue, are making it nearly impossible to do the one thing that Christ sent
us out to do (for those of you questioning what that is, I’m talking about evangelization!).
Yet I sometimes wonder if non-Christians (or non-Catholics)
look at the Church, at the way we live, at the way we act, and say to
themselves, “Why would I want to be a part of that?!” In the ninety-ninth paragraph of his evangelical
reflection, Pope Francis wonders the same thing:
It always pains me greatly to discover
how some Christians, and even consecrated persons, can tolerate different forms
of enmity, division, calumny, defamation, vendetta, jealousy and the desire to
impose certain ideas at all costs, even to persecutions which appear as
veritable witch hunts.[1]
In a litany of vice that reads more like a mob story, Pope
Francis is talking about us! He’s
talking about those who have been baptized and confirmed, those every Sunday
church-goers that Jesus called “the light of the world.”[2]
We are the motely crew that Jesus has chosen and appointed to bear fruit, the
kind of kingdom fruit that will last for eternity.[3]
Yet when the world looks at the way we act, is it any wonder that we’re finding
a hard time convincing people to join our club?
John the Evangelist asserted, “Those who say they live in
God should live their lives as Christ did” (1 Jn 2:6). Now for those of us who
almost unconsciously begin to wag our fingers at those other “so-called Christians” who clearly do not live up to the
demands of the Gospel, the following verses are for us:
Anyone who says, “I am the light” but
rejects another Christian is still in darkness. But anyone who loves other
Christians is walking in the light and does not cause anyone to stumble. Those
who reject other Christians are wandering in spiritual darkness and don’t know
where they are going, for the darkness has made them blind.[4]
Our dis-unity in Christ (as Christena Cleveland puts it) is
a sign of spiritual darkness that has already blinded us. Our enmity for one
another throws water on the flame of God and renders us wandering in the cold
ourselves, unable to inspire the hearts of others or lead them to the safe
haven of the Church.
“Let everyone admire how you care for one another,” Pope
Francis urges. “Let them admire how you encourage and accompany one another.”
This is the pathway to evangelization, the Scriptures say. This is Jesus’
heartfelt prayer to the Father: “That they all be one . . . in us. . . so that
the world may believe” (Jn 17:21). There is a direct relationship, according to
the Word of God, between our unity in Christ and our ability to evangelize. So
what are we waiting for? “We are all in the same boat and headed to the same
port!” Pope Francis reminds us. “Let us
ask for the grace to rejoice in the gifts of each, which belong to all.”[5]
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Thanks so much for your input. I pray that this dialogue may be a blessing to you personally and to the ministry you exercise in Christ.
Michael