Word to the Wise
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - Tuesday in the 23th Week in Ordinary Time
[Col 2:6-15 and Luke 6:12-19]As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught,abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to Christ. [Colossians]
St. Paul is concerned that the Christians in Colossae will be tempted by other religious practices that have nothing to do with Christ. These "philosophies" (= religions in Paul's mind) could include the "elemental powers of the world," {air, fire, earth and water) which were considered by many pagans to be Gods, or some other mysterious "force." The problem was nothing new. The history of God's people as narrated in the Old Testament shows that faith in God has had to withstand all kinds of local religious practices.
My own pastoral experience and reading (e.g. MYSTICS AND MESSIAHS - CULTS AND NEW RELIGIONS IN AMERICAN HISTORY by Philip Jenkins; or A REPUBLIC OF MIND - A CULTURAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN METAPHYSICAL RELIGION by Catherine Albanese) have revealed to me the enormous variety of religious beliefs and practices in our country since its very founding. [This would include the religious beliefs of Native Americans, as well!] This "landscape" is constantly changing, especially with the advent of "social media." Even for those who profess to be atheists, there is some form of ultimate power or values that shape their world of meaning. [cf. Charles Taylor's A SECULAR AGE]
Christianity seems in constant tension with secular values in our country. These can creep into our lives through the constant bombardment of advertising and the pervasive individualism of our cultural character. St. Paul would have ample reason to be concerned about us. An attentive and intentional Chistain faith means we try to know ourselves in the light of Jesus' teachings and recognize the elements of our culture that undermine those teachings. This requires effort and self-honesty but the results can be very rewarding. AMEN