Faith and Culture vs Religion and Politics

 

Friends of Faith,

The Spirit continues to prompt me to write and what I realized this morning is that some of the reason I haven’t is that I didn’t want this blog (my thoughts) to become just another political point of view on our culture.

And yet, I also realize/d that my faith both challenges and forms my political view and is forming each of many very divided cultural and political views, both in this nation and worldwide.  

Recently I read an article entitled: “Why Catholics ‘should’ talk about Religion and Politics.” And I realized before I began, that unfortunately, and sadly, a Christian denomination doesn’t necessarily bring unity to our political viewpoints or necessarily even reflect what we claim as our faith, or our faith’s values and/or beliefs.

And while the culture of society has always been influenced by varying beliefs and “religions”, God’s intention has always been that HE would form, convert and transform our beliefs into what is known as the “common good” and unification -- peace and holiness, ONE HOLY BODY of all.

Instead, the devil (and sin) have been allowed a cultural influence in thousands of Christian denominations and religions (instead of one) and viewpoints so grievously wrong but far spread that they are attempting to overtake God’s very plan for life and holiness. The devil is attempting (and I believe in many ways succeeding) to divide our culture into a war; maybe not the typical war, but a war spiritual in nature. This is not a recent thing as St Paul warned us of it in Eph 6:12: “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.”

Let me get back to the beginning.

When Jesus came into this world 2020 years ago, he came to fulfill God’s promise and covenant with Abraham. Genesis 15: 1-6, 21:1-3

God had one purpose in mind for giving us His son, Jesus: to undo the original sin of Adam and Eve. (Jesus paid a debt HE didn’t owe because WE owed a debt WE couldn’t pay.) God was keeping a promise he had made centuries before to His chosen people – to save us – to allow us to be able to choose heaven, to become holy; something that Adam and Eve’s original sin had put into jeopardy.

God’s goal for us was for us to become holy: to join Him in heaven! Nothing more, nothing less – not wealth, power, material possessions or even time for ourselves – “just” holiness – to avoid the sin that separates us from him, shown by our love for Him and love for each other.

And God knew that only by the incarnation (“He Became man” Jn 1:1-5, 9-14) would that promise be fulfilled. He joined us in our humanity so that we might join him in his divinity. His son, Jesus, would (and was) needed to lead us on the path to holiness.

But Jesus’ nature is opposite of what our culture today thinks of as both leader and King. He was not handsome, or wealthy, or powerful as we know it today. And His message, the respect He and His followers were given, and even His death on the cross (as a common thief) was not what would be expected of someone who was sent here to save us.

Likewise, much of our culture today shows no respect for faith, or for a belief in God and Jesus. In fact, our faith is challenged by our culture and belief in Jesus is still quite often mocked, usually when we least expect it; by those we sometimes think or thought we should respect; many times by those within our own churches and families; and especially by those who “claim” or profess to be in charge.

The division that is apparent in our culture is a call to Spiritual Warfare. And the cause of division is the same today as it was in all of the yesterday’s past – the devil, SIN.

When we allow culture to justify sin (ie: that we can choose life, our sex, power and feeling good) over God’s intentions for holiness and the very nature by which He formed us, then we have allowed the devil and SIN to transform us instead of Jesus to convert us. And faith, culture, religion, and politics have converged to where my conversation began – awareness of a deep divide that we are failing to talk about for fear of offending each other.

And yet the “person” we are most offending is God himself.

Think about this in the next conversation you partake in. Are your words kind? Do they speak the truth – God’s truth with honesty, or do they circle around the truth so that they don’t offend? Are we speaking to manipulate or justify our actions or inaction? Or are we speaking to bring awareness and understanding that will lead not only ourselves but others to holiness? Maybe we need to bring that cliché WWJD (what would Jesus Do) more into our daily actions, prayer and decision making.

And politics and religion: If the truth of our faith doesn’t influence our culture – then remember the opposite is true: Our culture AND politics will influence and lead us astray in our faith. And if the Christian faith and truth proclaimed by Jesus doesn’t influence our decisions, who or what is?

WHO are we listening to? And WWJD?

May our conversations be blessed by our faith and God’s truth, rather than avoiding His presence. And may you be blessed by God’s influence in your life, a search for His truth, and His desire for your holiness.

Blessings,

Charlotte

 

What Does God See?

Friends of Faith:

Bishop Robert Barron wrote an interesting article (March 26 Witness) about what the culture wants us to see – tolerance, diversity and inclusivity. And the difference between that and what God really WANTS us to be and see, which is Love. A Love which may mean we have to be intolerant of sin and more truthful with each other, in order to protect others, so as to move us closer to what GOD really wants us to BE, which is much different than what the culture wants us to be.

What Bishop Barron is reminding us is that we cannot be tolerant at the expense of God’s truth, because that would mean we are tolerating sin and not seeing the world in God’s eyes, but rather seeing the world in human eyes.

Our love cannot be a love so inclusive as to be at the expense of God’s righteousness, because that would mean we may not be helping a friend, neighbor, or brother to grow holier, which is our call as a people of God.

"Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart." 1 Sm 16:7

But in order to judge what is sinful, and in order to spread God’s love we must be able to SEE as God SEE’s – and in today’s world this is extremely difficult, if not impossible, because we are in a spiritual war that says we can’t judge, not even sin, and that we must be tolerant of all choices because choice is our right and we have a right to be free.

So instead of judging what is sinful, we are being conditioned to love everyone unconditionally. This then means we are not telling someone that what they are doing is wrong for fear of hurting their feelings. So we allow everyone to think they are a winner and to determine what is right by themselves, without God’s guidance.

Yet our call in life is exactly opposite of this scenario. Our call in life is to help make others holy. That may mean we are placed in someone’s life to be their example, to be their parent or teacher, or even to be their conscience.

And, I for one know that I do things wrong, that the sins I commit, I cannot always see and that I must constantly learn, seek guidance and be taught God’s perspective. And in doing so, I am aware of God’s constant forgiveness and mercy—a different sort of tolerance and intolerance.

And while many, over the last 2000 years have tried to deny, change, challenge or even vilify God’s one, holy, universal and apostolic Church we cannot deny that God would have left us nothing less than what could be perfect, that God’s eyes are all seeing, and that God’s ways (tolerant and intolerant) are known only fully to Him.

That’s why, although people are imperfect, HIS Church and the Sacraments He has given us are so perfect, because they were designed by Got to lead us to perfection, to holiness.

We become one with Him through baptism.  He sent His son, Jesus, to offer us renewal through the eating of the flesh of His body and blood given in the sacrifice of the Eucharistic table (John 6: 35 -59). And we are guided by the grace of the Holy Spirit given to us in Confirmation. (Father, Son & Holy Spirit –the Trinity)

He gave Peter the keys to the kingdom (priesthood) “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 16: 18 And completed the call to priesthood with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Mt 16:19  

And He gave us the gift of the Sacrament of Marriage, so that we here on earth could continue His manifestation in His gift of life and love through sacrificial giving to another as a reflection of our eventual union in heaven with Him.

So as we journey through Lent, drawing closer to the Good Friday memorial of Jesus’ death on the cross, may we constantly strive to “see” not from our human eyes of tolerance and righteousness; but rather from God’s eyes the right intolerance of human sinfulness. And let us look ever forward to the mercy granted by His death, by His perfect love, which just as He granted the “good” thief on the cross, also grants us His promise and hope for eternal life.

May we constantly seek to see and understand as God sees and understands,

Blessings,

Charlotte

Falling Asleep

Women of Faith:

He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.” Lk 22: 46. As Christians we are to be on “watch” like the apostles were when Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray.

But, like the apostles, have I fallen asleep just as they did? They were faithful followers and still they fell asleep and even denied being with and following Christ. (Peter denied Christ 3 times.)

Yet Jesus was always very patient, forgiving them (and us) for their (our) lack of readiness and watchfulness. And eventually these followers became Saints because they repented, were converted, and chose to be awakened by Christ’s message.

How many times have I denied, grown weary, sat back and said nothing when I knew I was being asked to do more, when I was being asked to live or defend my faith—and sometimes, more importantly, to speak up and correct a friend or family member who was circumventing what in my heart I knew was the path of Christ’s truth.

All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was the Christ. Yet God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the desert. These things happened as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil things, as they did. Do not grumble as some of them did, and suffered death by the destroyer. These things happened to them as an example, and they have been written down as a warning to us, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore, whoever thinks he is standing secure should take care not to fall. 1 Cor 10: 5-6, 10-12

Have you ever said, “It’s their choice, I can’t change it, It doesn’t affect me?”

And yet Christ taught that IT DOES affect me. I am warned that I have come from the same spiritual background and that God is not always been pleased with us (his people) who fall asleep, desire evil things, and grumble that our real work here on earth might be difficult and counter cultural.

Yes, I must be careful not to judge, and I must be careful to seek wisdom and to have compassion, for we are all sinners, but I CANNOT fall asleep, I must not confuse speaking the truth with judgment. If I want God’s highest goal for me, heaven, then I must always be ready to live by the highest standard, God’s.

And I must always be ready to ask God for guidance and the courage to speak when someone has fallen asleep to God’s truth. Because IT DOES AFFECT ME!!

I am being called to do more, not only to live my life as an example, but sometimes to speak up and awaken those around me, who are not living up to this higher standard. And I might be chastised and outcast by them for following God’s call, just as the apostles were. 

BUT this is God’s call—to be awake—to not hide or sleep, for I desire the same end as the apostles, sainthood—to be with God in heaven. Sainthood, holiness, is God’s call to each of us, and with His help, and by my choice, I can be awakened and I can awaken those around me. But I must be careful to never feel too secure or to be caught off guard because it is only human to fall asleep.

God made us in His image to be saints. And Christ made this promise possible with his death on the cross.

Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

Heavenly Father, You are the Way, the Truth and the Life. Help me to not grow weary but to stay ready and watchful. Give me a nudge when I fall asleep.  Help me to have the courage to rise up to the challenges of speaking Your truth, to love my neighbor and to help every person I meet to get to know You. Come Holy Spirit, fill my heart with compassion and right judgment, wisdom and understanding to live and to speak God’s command. Amen.

If I fall asleep, if I back down, if I choose to ignore sin, then I am no better and much more guilty, because God has shown me a better way. And I will perish for my choice to “be asleep.”

Stay awake, be ready and know that Christ’s encouraging Word is meant to help us rise up.

Blessings,

Charlotte