Thy Kingdom Come
In an article from Zenit News Pope Benedict is reported as encouraging the faithful to take up their role as builders of a ‘temporal world order’…someone of faith may call it a ‘Kingdom of God’. What our Pontiff was pointing out was a common reluctance of those in political office to allow their faith into their work. Archbishop Wuerl of Washington called such separation of spiritual and secular values as “a schizophrenic approach to life”…..I might just agree with him.
What is a Christian if not a person who lives by Gospel values and values influenced by the Gospel? What is a democracy if it doesn’t take the views of all its citizens into account? Both these questions need answering in a world where a public profession of faith will do little to further your political aspirations and where many feel religion should be confined to the churches, synagogues and temples.
The secular view is that “superstition, like belief, must die” but such a view is in its infancy compared to the wisdom contained in the ways of faith. And so many nations have fallen, not only to secularisation, but also to a genuine fear of religion. I could turn and ask “Is it the truth that is faith that scares them? Is it the idea that they shouldn’t and don’t want to believe because of the world around them….is that what moves them to attempt to destroy faith before turning to it? Is it a fear of their own possible faith that scares them?”.
These are valid fears….society does not look favorably on faith today….but society has been wrong before and the pull that many do feal towards faith says much in itself. It is hard to live a public life as a Christian…some might say impossible…but what are we doing calling ourselves ‘Christian’ if we don’t feel the need to build a better world. To aid our fellow man and pick the injured stranger off the street to offer a friendly word.
Monday, July 30th, 2007 and is filed under Rome.
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