Mike Paschall . com

My devotional reading today.   Hmmmmmmmmmm.

A man shocked me one day when he said, “You Christians don’t love Christ.  You hate Christ.  You hate what Christ stands for.”  He continued, “You cover up your own hatred and fear of Christ by talking about how much you love Jesus.  But if you love Jesus, why don’t you love your enemies?  If you love Jesus, why don’t you really obey the gospel, most of which you ignore?”

I heard these words and trembled inside, thinking, My God, is that true of me?  Brothers and sisters, just open Mark’s Gospel.  Most of us haven’t paid attention to nine-tenths of it.  Most of the passages are just conveniently ignored by the institutional Church and by ourselves.  In fact, I find we very often do the exact opposite of what Jesus teaches about, as if a bigger lie is easier to cover up.  Christians and their bishops have been condoning and participating in war, greed and false security for centuries, while calling themselves the Body of Christ–or even the magisterium!  Matthew 23 would seemingly make us unwilling to wear a long robe or tassels ever again!  Strange isn’t it?

When was the last time you heard that someone was thrown out of the Church for not rejoicing and exalting when they were criticized?  Did anybody ever think of it?  Well, Jesus taught that:  “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble” Matthew 5:11-13, MSG.  How come we don’t make that a matter for excommunication?  The thought never entered our minds.  – Richard Rohr O. F. M., from Letting Go:  A Spirituality of Subtraction.

This is painfully necessary.  It’s so out of “character” for us.  We need a real download to overcome the default reflex to protect the false-self.  I would like to think that we’re growing towards what Richard is proposing here.  But, top to bottom… there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of evidence otherwise.  The part about this that wears me out, is that people, who we could be influencing, are watching, fortifying their position with claims that it’s ALL hogwash.  Not just the wounded-angry , but the true seekers.

-MDP-