At PJ Media, a series of columns exist by an author who is experience Faith Troubles. For what it is worth, I contributed the following:
A wonderful reply, Antaine! Thanks for writing it.
One problem we have today is we live in an age that doesn't "get" the idea of Faith. Don't mean to disparage Protestants, but since Luther, they've tended to promote the "blind faith" or Søren Kierkegaard's leap of faith idea, and that in turn "turns off" a lot of people. "Oh, religion, just blind faith/wishful thinking."
But look what St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15: he lists a number of people, names 'em by name, well-known people indeed, and swears what he says is true. "For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received" is an oath-type, a solemn affirmation that the speaker is affirming a truthful saying. Then St. Paul mentions the Risen Jesus being seen by 500 at once. Nowhere else in the New Testament is this mentioned, but curiously enough, 500 jurors were the standard number in Ancient Athens to sit on a jury trial when a man's life was on the line. We don't know that Socrates had 500, but we do know that that number was the common standard. So St. Paul, who was born a Roman citizen and had some classical education (as well as a copious Jewish education) could well be saying simply: "I have court-level evidence of the Resurrection that would have stood up to an Athenian jury!"
Ever think of this that way? Give it a consideration.
Also, even in the Churches, particularly the Catholic, we're in a sort of "Laodicean Church", neither hot nor cold. The American Church says abortion is a heinous crime, but then why not excommunicate Nancy Pelosi? Or Joe Biden? The bishops would blanche at the idea. So, do they believe the teaching, or what?
The Vatican 2 liturgy might be a draw-back to you (it was for me). It can be celebrated pretty much any old way, and mostly it is celebrated blandly. That or too obviously a 1970s kind of "feel good" endeavor. The older Trad Latin Mass, esp the sung Missa cantata, is a glorious thing. It's really about interior prayer (whereas the other Mass is sort of a stage act, wherein the conductor -- the priest -- leads everyone in the same prayers in rote). Try a TLM or an Orthodox liturgy (many Orthodox Churches are in communion with the Catholic Church, it's just the bigger ones that aren't.
Finally, as Antaine says, the Eucharist is the most profound, "authentic" way to experience God. Protestant Churches (as most of Islam, though not the Sufi tradition) treat God as a mnemonic; i.e., God visited us 2,000 years ago in Jesus, and we collectively "know" Him but via memory, or if "personally" only in prayer, give or take, now and then. The Catholic and Orthodox Churches treat the Incarnation as an ontological reality, however, that God is literally present here, and now, in the Eucharist (and the other six sacraments).
One last point from C.S. Lewis: in the Screwtape Letters, he mentions "the Law of Undulation", wherein we, as humans, experience God and Faith in a series of waves throughout life; sometimes the waves are high and were close to God, sometimes they're low and we feel pretty far from God. But if one understands this Law, one is prepared for these "ups and downs" and can take them in some degree of stride.
Blessings, and Peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment