Word to the Wise
Saturday, October 13, 2018 - Saturday in the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gal 3:22-29 and Luke 11:27-28]For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise. [Galatians]
St. Paul proclaims the spiritual equality of all baptized Christians, but it is clear that this equality rarely makes it into the political and social life of human beings. In George Orwell's famous novel, Animal Kingdom, the pigs who control the government claim, "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." This is sadly true in human history.
In the light of St. Paul's message, we are challenged to ask, "What difference does a particular difference make?" Right now, race, sexual orientation, gender, economic status, geographic origin, citizenship, church affiliation, language, health - to name just some - are all used as a way of including or excluding human persons from certain groups or privileges or services.
If we are called by our baptism to proclaim the good news, what example do we give? If we say, "Welcome to the church but don't sit next to me!" are we proclaiming Christ? How do we respect "differences" without becoming entangled with negative discrimination? Church leaders have proclaimed that we should have a "preferential option for the poor." This preference is supported in the scriptures, and is a positive effort to end economic discrimination. Does our parish practice this? What other efforts are being made to look critically at any kind of difference that gives rise to discrimination? St. Paul's words can be a good light to use for probing those dark corners of fear and ignorance that cause us to forget that love of both God AND neighbor go together. AMEN