Word to the Wise
Friday, May 10, 2013 - 6th Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 18:9-18 and John 16:20-23]One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord waid to him in a vision, "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city." He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them.
Paul's time in Corinth was fruitful, but the Lord's guarantee was tested when local Jews tried to get the Roman governor to silence him. Needless to say, both the Jews and Paul learned just how little their faith meant to Gallio the proconsul! Gallio called it "a question of arguments over doctrine and titles and your own law...."
I sometimes wonder if that is how many people see disputes between various factions in the church or between various churches. Occasionally there are lawsuits over titles to church property, etc.. Matters of truth in church teaching that may be of great importance to members of the church appear to be abstract disputes to those who feel that finding enough food to eat or money to pay the rent or utility bills is more important. We are supposed to be preaching a message of hope and consolation, yet our differences in Christianity or between Christians and other religious traditions seem to generate more violence than hope!
Any civil judicial system is going to be interested in maintaining law and order. It is a scandal when that law and order is disturbed by religious disputes! One can only pray that the truth can be proclaimed without violence or indifference! That was, unfortunately, not to be the case for St. Paul (read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28), but we can hope for a more peaceful preaching in our own time. AMEN