John 14:15-31
On Holy Thursday the news was out, the new Pope had broken church law by washing the feet of women. This is the kind of thing that I find both maddening and hopeful. That the church has such a 'law' is maddening, that the Pope summarily dismissed it and did the right thing anyway I find hopeful.
The Roman Catholic church sure could use a bit of fresh air and some fresh thinking. Perhaps more importantly, a revival of the Spirit which seems lost at times in this age old bureaucratically heavy laden church.
As a gay man, I am hopeful about this new Pope who has a brain and a heart that seems to have eluded so many. A case in point were the ramblings of The Archbishop of New York who was on TV yesterday speaking about gays being able to be "friends" and nothing more. The fact that he recognizes that they "need to do a better job" is something I find hopeful too. The church is so steeped in tradition and almost irrelevant musings and arcane logic of ancient thinkers that there is little room for the Spirit in the church. Love and compassion seems long abandoned save for a few notable and powerful exceptions. If the Church as an instrument of Christ is to continue at all, forget about growing for the moment, it needs to really take some serious steps. What are they?
The Spirit actually is alive in the Roman Catholic church, in the hearts and minds of the faithful. They know the answers, they are intelligent and are not swayed by circular logic and antiquated policies and rhetoric. There is love alive. There is scientific knowledge. The faithful see the decent lives of gay couples and they see the hypocrisy of marriage annulments, pedophile cover ups, curial backstabbing, and all sorts of sordid details that have come out about hierarchical mismanagement. And they see that it is just that, mismanagement - as in a corporate atmosphere.
Let the Spirit flow freely, fly high and see what will be accomplished. Vatican II would only be a hint of the fresh breeze and glory that the church really does deserve if it is in fact Christ's church and not a club of euro centric old men.
On Holy Thursday the news was out, the new Pope had broken church law by washing the feet of women. This is the kind of thing that I find both maddening and hopeful. That the church has such a 'law' is maddening, that the Pope summarily dismissed it and did the right thing anyway I find hopeful.
The Roman Catholic church sure could use a bit of fresh air and some fresh thinking. Perhaps more importantly, a revival of the Spirit which seems lost at times in this age old bureaucratically heavy laden church.
As a gay man, I am hopeful about this new Pope who has a brain and a heart that seems to have eluded so many. A case in point were the ramblings of The Archbishop of New York who was on TV yesterday speaking about gays being able to be "friends" and nothing more. The fact that he recognizes that they "need to do a better job" is something I find hopeful too. The church is so steeped in tradition and almost irrelevant musings and arcane logic of ancient thinkers that there is little room for the Spirit in the church. Love and compassion seems long abandoned save for a few notable and powerful exceptions. If the Church as an instrument of Christ is to continue at all, forget about growing for the moment, it needs to really take some serious steps. What are they?
The Spirit actually is alive in the Roman Catholic church, in the hearts and minds of the faithful. They know the answers, they are intelligent and are not swayed by circular logic and antiquated policies and rhetoric. There is love alive. There is scientific knowledge. The faithful see the decent lives of gay couples and they see the hypocrisy of marriage annulments, pedophile cover ups, curial backstabbing, and all sorts of sordid details that have come out about hierarchical mismanagement. And they see that it is just that, mismanagement - as in a corporate atmosphere.
Let the Spirit flow freely, fly high and see what will be accomplished. Vatican II would only be a hint of the fresh breeze and glory that the church really does deserve if it is in fact Christ's church and not a club of euro centric old men.
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’ Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, “I am going away, and I am coming to you.” If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.
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