Can One Love The Messenger And Ignore The Message?

Last updated on: June 14, 2007 at 1:01 pm by voxnovablog

Can One Love The Messenger And Ignore The Message? 2007-06-14T13:01:00-05:00 voxnovablog

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dostoevsky famously said, “Beauty will save the world.” What does this mean? How can beauty, an aesthetic sense, save the world? Contrary to popular opinion, while there is indeed a relative appreciation for beauty that allows one person to see something as beautiful and another not, beauty is more than mere aesthetics. Beauty is the spice of life which motivates us, moves us, enriches us; beauty, by its nature, attracts and encourages love as a response. We may or may not agree with Burke in calling this love a passion (cf. Edmund Burke, On the Sublime and Beautiful, Part III-1), but we can agree that beauty generates a strong response within us, one which causes loyalty and devotion in the one who beholds it. And it is this response which brings us out of ourselves, out of our individual prisons, and into the world, causing us to act on behalf of that love. This is why beauty is what saves, because beauty is what opens up the individual from their self-imposed sinful world, and shows them there is something different, important, desirable outside of themselves and that it is worthy of all respect and devotion Even if it requires us to sacrifice our own life, we will do so willingly, joyfully, out of the love generated within.

The Christian is one who has seen the beauty of Jesus Christ. They are so enraptured by the resultant love that they find within that they are changed forever. They realize that the commands of Christ are not just any commands, but the dictates of love. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, NRSV). We follow them because we do so out of love. The commandments are not to be seen as unwieldy, legalistic rules; they are merely representations of what one does when one has made their life a life united with love.

Through the incarnation, Christ united himself to every man and woman in creation, not only by sharing their one human nature in common, but also by becoming the new Adam in whose type we are to follow. By this union with all of humanity, all of us share in Christ, all of us partake of Christ, and we are called to see Christ in everyone. Admittedly, this is not an easy task, but the more one is filled with love for and of Christ, the more this will be done. In the final judgment, Jesus tells us that it is how we act out on this love that we will be judged:

Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?”And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:34 – 40, NRSV).

The real consequences of this is properly understood by Dumitru Staniloae: “If the Christian must see Christ in every man and hear Christ’s cry for help in every human cry, then he cannot accept with patience the fact that his brother exists in a condition inferior to his own. It is of the nature of love, moreover, that it cannot tolerate inequality, for inequality creates distance. One who loves does not consider himself superior to the beloved. Instead love prompts us to strive for achievement of equality and justice among men” Dumitru Staniloae, Theology and the Church. trans. Robert Barringer (Crestwood, New York: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1980),209.

Love is the center of Christian existence; love is the true motivator for Christian action in the world. Acts of charity, following the dictates of Social Doctrine, is not some secondary option for Christians. Rather, it is in their heartfelt union with Christ that Christians understand the message of love and the messenger, Jesus, are one and the same, and the only proper faithful response to Jesus is the act of love. “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world” (1John 4:16-17, NRSV).

In his monumental work, Catholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Mankind, Henri de Lubac noted the slow inclusion of an individualism into the Catholic Church, and the devastating effects this has had on Catholicism. From the time he was writing (1940s), he “noticed that the modern theology of the Church has reflected Protestant individualism which it sought to correct in too extrinsic a fashion” Henri de Lubac, Catholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Mankind. trans. Lancelot C. Sheppard and Sister Elizabeth Englund (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1988), 314. This was, in part, the mistake of apologists who unwittingly took on many of the thoughts and concepts of their opponents. “In his struggle against heresy he always sees the question, more or less, willingly or unwillingly, from the heretic’s point of view. He often accepts questions in the form in which the heretic propounds them, so that without sharing the error he may make implicit concessions to his opponent, which are the more serious the more explicit are his refutations” (ibid, 312-3). While in Europe, and in the majority of modern theological treatises, it is correct to say, “The narrow-minded individualistic Christianity against which he strove is hardly our problem today” (Cardinal Ratzinger in the Foreword to the Ignatius Edition of Catholicism,12), those living within a society founded upon this individualism, such as the United States, still suffer the effects of this individualism. How else can we come to understand why many Catholics believe that an authentic Christian life is purely the exposition of correct doctrinal statements, rather than the life these statements intend to provide? How else can we explain the fact that many Catholics think the height of orthodoxy is to prove the deity of Christ, but fail to appreciate what Christ called us to do in the world? How can we explain the fact that the content of these doctrines are known but does not penetrate their hearts?

Where this happens, is it not in reality a continuation of the old debate of faith versus works, with a purely belief-oriented response finding itself a place in many Catholics hearts? It would be one thing if they took this stand properly, and followed through and believed everything that the Catholic Church and her leaders teaches; but do they really do that? No, they exercise their own prudential judgment, thinking it is of the same authority and kind of their leader, and believe that the only things which we must believe are specific kinds of teachings – teachings which place no real requirements on their activity. Christ’s deity, the Trinity, the ever-virginity of the Virgin Mary, and other such teaching, all perfectly true, are considered by many as the kind of teaching which is necessary for us to believe. If they believe, go to the sacraments (a minor intrusion in their life), and do no horrendous sin like abortion, they will be saved and that’s it; faith preserves them.

But what kind of faith is this? Is it true fidelity to Christ? He came, certainly teaching about his own person, but also about the responses expected out of us if we truly love him. You say you believe. Good. “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe–and shudder” (James 2:19). Belief is easy, but fidelity, true faithfulness, requires one to do more than believe, it requires an active response. Am I faithful to Christ if I believe in him but do not love him?

Certainly, it is often difficult for us to know what love would require of us in difficult situations; Catholic Social Doctrine (and that’s right, it’s doctrine!) gives us answers. As with all doctrinal statements, the Magisterium has the authority not only to declare a specific teaching, but to interpret it as well. Imagine how it would have been like around the time of Chalcedon if Eutyches had responded to Pope Leo’s Tome, “Well, that’s your prudential judgment; I disagree.” Most would tell him, “The Pope was speaking authoritatively on doctrine, listen to him.” Again, Catholic Social Doctrine is doctrine, and it falls under the category of “morals.” The Pope’s authority is found not only in issues concerning Christ’s person, but also in pronouncements concerning the good. Moreover, while it is true that there are various levels of authority that a Pope (or a Bishop) possesses, this does not mean that we can ignore the Pope or a Bishop when they are addressing moral questions. The Tome of St Leo to Flavian was not pronounced under the highest dictates of St Leo’s authority. It was written to address specific concerns of Flavian. While it was later taken up by the Council of Chalcedon, at the time of its writing, was it not just a “prudential judgment” of the Pope in dealing with a doctrinal question? What is the difference between prudential judgments on doctrinal questions such as the person of Christ or the Trinity with doctrinal questions about morality?

Indeed, the two must not be seen as separate from one another. Does not the teaching of the Trinity show to us the perfect society? Does it not show that a communion of persons in mutual respect and love is the way we are to be as Christians? “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one” (John 17:11b). In the Trinity we find unity in diversity, each person equal and yet with a relative difference from every other person; is this not the oneness Christ wants us to have? To not understand this is to misunderstand the doctrine of the Trinity. It’s not just a fact, it is a reality and a reality which has consequences in our own lives. The same is true with all doctrinal teachings of the Church: they are professed, not just to be recited as facts, but to motivate the heart of the faithful Christian.

Thus, we must do more than believe, but we must act out our faith, even if it challenges us, even if it requires us to sacrifice ourselves in the process. This challenge is for all of us; I am acutely aware of my deficiencies here. With all my training in academic, systematic theology, it is very easy for me to be caught up in particulars without applying what I’ve learned to my relationships with others. The first step for all of us is to recognize our failings so that we can humbly work in overcoming them. What is it which puts us away from the fullness of Christ’s love? Is it family? Friends? One’s nation? One’s job? Surely these are all possible answers, but is not the truth something far more daring, and far more frightening? Is it not true that the real answer is that we are still captivated with ourselves, filled with so much self-love, that when we fail, it is because we think only in terms of ourselves and what we want? And is that not why Christ said if we are to live, we my first die to the self?

Catholic Social Teaching

Henry Karlson

Theology

Previous Post

June 14, 2007

One month later...

Next Post

June 14, 2007 Introduce yourself

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2019 A Consistent Ethic of Life Aaron Weldon Abortion absurdity Abuse Scandal Academics Adoption Advent Africa agreement/disagreement with Church teaching Alexander Schmemann Alexham Alterity America Amnesty International Anarchism angels Anglicanism Animals Annual Statistics Anthony Anxietas Apocalyptic Apophatic Appalachia Aquinas Art Atheism Atonement Augustine Authority Baptism Beauty Bible biblical criticism biblical scholarship Bioethics Bishops Black Catholics Black Theology Blackadder Blogs Books Breastfeeding Brett Salkeld Buddhism Bush administration Byzantine Catholic Calvinism Canada Canon Law Capital Punishment Capitalism Caryll Houselander Catholic Blog Awards Catholic Blogging Catholic League Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Worker Movement Catholicity CFL Charity Children Chris West Christ and Culture Christian Democracy Christian Unity Christmas Christology Church Church Doctrine Church History Climate Change Cohabitation Colbert Collegiality Communion Communism Comparative Theology Competition Conferences conscience conscience rights Consequentialism Consistent Life Ethics Consumerism Contraception Contrition Conversion Converts Coptic COVID-19 Creation Critical Thinking Cross Cuba Culture Culture of Death Culture of Life Darfur David Cruz-Uribe David Wheeler-Reed Death Death Penalty Democracy Demons Desert Fathers Devil Dialogue dignity Disability Disarmament discernment Discipleship discrimination Dissent Distributism Division Doctrine Domestic Church Dorothy Day Double Effect Doubt Down syndrome Driving Early Church Easter Eastern Churches Ecclesiology Economics Economy Ecumenism Education El Salvador Election Election 2020 Ellul Embryonic Stem Cell Research Empire Energy Enlighenment Environmentalism Ephraim Radner Episcopal Church epistemology Equality Eschatology Ethics Eucharist Europe Euthanasia Evangelization Evil Evolution Excommunication F.X. Durrwell Facism Facts Fair Trade Faith Family Fashion Feddie Feminism Feminist theology Fertility Fetal Rights Fiction Film Finances First Things flags Folk Religion Food Foreign Affairs Forgiveness Frank Sheed Free Speech Freedom gay & lesbian persons Genocide George W. Bush George Weigel Gerald L. Campbell Girard/Mimetic Theory Global Warming Globalization Gnosticism Good Friday Grace Gratitude Greed Grey Cup 2009 Guadalupe Guest Post Guest Posts Gun Control Gustave Martelet Habitat for Humanity Hans Urs von Balthasar Harry Potter Hate Speech Health Health Care Healthcare Heather King Hebrew Bible Henri de Lubac Henry Karlson Herbert McCabe Heresy HHS Mandate Controversy History Holidays Holiness Holy Spirit Homiletics Homily Homosexuality Hope Hospitality How Far Can We Go? How Far Can We Go? Human Person Human Rights Humanae Vitae Humility Humor Hunger Hunting Identity Idolatry Ignacio Ellacuría Imagination Immigration In Memoriam Income Inequality Inculturation Indigenous People Individualism Inklings Intellect Interdependence Internet Interpretation Interviews Introduction Iraq War Islam Israel Jain James Alison James Martin Jazz Jesus Christ Jews Joe Biden Joe Hargrave Johann Baptist Metz John Allen John Henry Newman John Paul II John the Baptist John XXIII Jonathan Josef Pieper Joseph (the husband of Mary) Joseph Bernardin Joseph Ratzinger Josh Brumfield Journals Joy Judgment Just War Justice Kari Lundgren Karl Rahner Katerina Ivanovna Kenya Keynes Kingdom of God Kyle R. Cupp Labor Language Latin America Law Leanne Ogasawara Legion of Christ Leisure Lent Liberalism Liberation Theology Libertarianism Libya Lies Life life & dignity & responsibility of the human person Literature Little Way Liturgical music Liturgical Year Liturgy Living Simply Living Wage Local Church Lombard Lord of the Rings Louis Dupre Love M.Z. Magic Magisterium Mark DeFrancisis Mark Gordon Marriage Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Martyrdom Marxism Mary Masculinity Matt Talbot Matthew Fish Matthew Levering McCain Media Memorial Day Mennonites Mental Illness mercy Michael Iafrate Middle East militarism Miroslav Volf Mitt Romney Modesty Moral Theology Morality Mormonism Morning's Minion Mother Teresa Music Muslims Natalie Nate Wildermuth Nationalism Native Americans Nature Nazis Neuhaus New Evangelization New York City News NFP nihilism Nonviolence Not Abortion Nova's Ordo Nuclear weapons Nuns Obama Occult Old Age Opus Dei Ordination ordination of women original sin Orthodoxy Oscar Romero Other Voices Pacifism Palestine Palin Papacy Papal Peace Messages Papal Social Encyclicals Particular Affections Partisanship Patriotism Paul Paul Ryan Paul VI Peace Pentimento persecution Personalism Phantastes Philosophy PKD Planned Parenthood Pluralism Poetry Policraticus Politcal Apathy Politics Poll Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope Leo XIV Population Postcolonialsim Poverty Power Prayer Preaching Predictions Predictions for 2012 President Barack Obama priestly formation & discernment Pro-Life Progress Prophetic Witness Proportionalism Public Diplomacy Public Policy Question Quotes Rachel Maddow Racism Radical Catholic Mom Radical Catholicism Raymund Schwager Real Catholic TV Real Presence Reconciliation Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange Religion religious freedom Responsibility Ressourcement Resurrection Rick Garnett Ridiculous Crap You Never Thought You'd See Robert Barron Roe v. Wade Roman Curia Rome Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation History Sam Harris Sam Rocha Same-sex Marriage Saskatchewan Roughriders Satire School of the Americas Science Scripture Seamless Garment Second Vatican Council Seeing Sex sexual violence Sexuality Sia Sin social justice Social Security Socialism Society of Jesus Sofia Loves Wisdom Solidarity Sophia soteriology Soutenus Spirituality Sports St. Dismas St. Joseph Stanley Hauerwas Statistics Stimulus Suffering Sunday Reflections Supernatural Supreme Court Symbolism Syria Taxing Technology Terrorism The State The Tea Party The Trump Administration Theological Anthropology Theology Theotokos Thomas Merton Throwaway Culture Tim Muldoon Tim Riley Tim Tebow Time Titian Tolkien Torture Toys Trade Traditionalism Transgender Transportation Transubstantiation Trinity Truth TV U.S. Affairs Uncategorized Unions unity among people who disagree US Catholicism USCCB Usury Utilitarianism Utopia Valentine's Day Vatican Vatican II Veterans Vicarious Suffering Video Violence Virgin Mary Vocations Voluntary Associations Voluntary Poverty Voting Vox Nova vox nova blog war War and Peace War Strategy Wealth Weirdness Welfare state Women Women Priests Work Woundedness Youth

Select a Month June 2026 May 2025 February 2025 January 2025 July 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 July 2023 March 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 November 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I built a great temple with cedar and gold, using 70,000 carriers and 80,000 stonecutters. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Zerubbabel Hiram David Solomon