Word to the Wise
Friday, April 21, 2023 - 2nd Week of Easter - Fri
[Acts 5:34-42 and John 6:1-15]"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God." [Acts]
These words were spoken by Gamaliel, a member of the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish authority in Jerusalem) and a teacher of St. Paul when the Sanhedrin was debating what to do about the post-Pentecostal preaching of the Apostles in Jerusalem. Gamaliel's advice was pivotal in allowing Christianity to be more than a sect in Judaism and go beyond Jerusalem to the whole world. One of Gamaliel's pupils, St. Paul, took part in a subsequent persecution and discovered on the road to Damascus, that he was indeed fighting against God "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!" The rest, as often said, is history!
Gamaliel's advice endures in many ways in our Church. Fads and movements come and go. Some of them are healthy and helpful, but are generation-bound and are good only for their time. Some are not so healthy and can cause a lot of damage, especially if they are linked to political or ecclesiastical ideology and power. The manner of discernment is very important to the decisions that must be made about any movement within the church. Pope Francis has resurrected in the western (Latin Rite) Church a process of discernment that has been used for centuries in the eastern rites called the "synod." Although canon law, for a long time, has provided for synods on a diocesan level, they were relatively rare. Now, they may become a more common feature. In the western Church, ultimate decisions are not made in synods, but at least the decisions can be better shaped by hearing a wider diversity of voices and not just the voices of church bureaucracy! There is much more for us to learn about this and we can always pray for wise voices like Gamaliel's to be heard and heeded. AMEN