Christ the King Church

REFLECTIONS WITH Fr. Bill

Easter Vl   Acts 15:1-2, 22-29

     Can you remember your last argument? Do they happen often? How do you feel when the disagreement is over? Do you enjoy them, or do they make you a little sick to the stomach? Arguments and disagreements are usually unpleasant experiences for most of us. They leave us feeling a bit out of whack, don’t they?

     What place do disagreement and dissension have in our lives? As Christians, are we supposed to always be agreeable and avoid arguments at all costs? Are there times when we have the duty to disagree with others? These are very real and practical questions in our lives and ones that we can’t avoid dealing with. In Sunday’s reading from Acts we hear that Paul and Barnabas had quite a serious disagreement with some of the other followers of Christ who had come down from Jerusalem. The first Christians, who were all Jewish, were teaching that in order to be saved, one had to be circumcised. This was a natural way for them to think because that was a major teaching of the Jewish faith, and so they took these traditions with them when they became followers of Christ.

     But Paul and Barnabas were in a completely different situation since they were preaching to the non-Jewish community, and so they had to think differently. The new followers of Christ that they were talking to were not Jewish and it seemed incomprehensible to them that they were going to be forced into a rite of circumcision. And so there was a major fight about this issue. And don’t forget, we are talking about the very early days of the Church. You would think that in those times everyone would be very agreeable with everyone else – that nobody would be putting up major disagreements.

     In our universal church today, we also find ourselves in a new situation. Over the past many decades, there have been many changes in our society. New questions have arisen out of these changes. We have been challenged to think differently about many things – inside and outside the church. This new attitude of questioning things is one that bothers many people. Those of us who are older may find this very disturbing. It has driven many people to go to extremes with their conservatism. Many people in the church react against any change at all.

     If Paul and Barnabas could see that things had to be different because they found themselves in a completely different situation, it seems that we are asked to be open to new possibilities also. Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel says that the Holy Spirit will teach us everything. This “everything” does not mean everything from the past. It also means that the Holy Spirit will be helping us to learn new things – new ways of being Christian.

     Dissension can be a blessing if it helps us to see the truth that God wants us to see. Disagreements are not always bad. In your own personal lives, you have to decide whether the arguments and disagreements that you find yourselves involved in are ways of bringing truth to a situation; or are these disagreements merely a result of your wanting to have your own way? Some people need to have everything done just the way they want it to be done; and that can lead to a lot of arguments. Does it really matter which side of the plate you put the fork on, which method you use for doing the dishes, or whether you have chicken tomorrow rather than tonight?

     If, in your marriage or friendship, or in your dealings with the parish or your work situation, you are seen as one who disagrees with everything, perhaps you should take a look at the source of your disagreement. Does it come from a real search for what is right in any situation, or merely from a desire to have it the way you like it?

     The fact that we don’t always think the same as others should not be a source of distress. Potentially it is a source of new knowledge and new ways of looking at things. This is a real blessing in many different situations and one we should be thankful for. Yes, we are actually asked to be thankful for disagreements, especially when they lead to greater truth. When the political process is working the way it should, honest disagreement can lead to many positive results for people.

     The Holy Spirit can speak in many, many different ways. One of them may be through the honest disagreements that we have with one another, either individually or as different groups within our society and church.

     I know that it is easy to say we must learn how to live with disagreements, but that the way out of this can be very difficult. It requires that in our times of dissension we never lose respect for each other; we never just blame the other for what is wrong; we practice kindness and even gentleness in our times of disagreement; we are truly open to hearing what the other side has to say about any particular issue; and we ourselves remain ready to change of mind. All of these elements, and more, must go into our practice of dissension. Then, hopefully, we will as a community be able to listen to the Holy Spirit.

     We conclude with Jesus’ own words: “I have said these things 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.”

Forward together and no one left behind,

Father Bill

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