"There is a lot that could be said about this verse. The first thing I think of is a quote from St. Catherine of Siena: "All the way to heaven is heaven, because he said I am the way."’ Catherine talks about Christ as the bridge between heaven and earth, divinity and humanity. The bridge between heaven and earth is already heaven, because it is Christ.
I love this quote because it breaks down the dichotomy between means and ends. The Christian life is not a means to heaven. War is not a means to peace, freedom is not a prerequisite for following Christ. The Christian life is about practicing heaven now, on earth, even if it gets you killed. It’s not about making our way to Christ in some far-off eschaton; Christ is the way."
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Doing Justice.
Henri de Lubac says, "The Eucharist makes the church," and the church is more than just a Moose Lodge for Christians. The church is a social space in its own right, an enactment of the politics of Jesus. This does not mean that the church should become a political party or interject party politics into the liturgy. It means the church should help create -- in collaboration with non-Christians too -- spaces of peace, charity and just economic exchange.
-William Cavanaugh
William Cavanaugh is a great voice speaking about the Churches role in the world. Too often, we as Christians have been an extension of the state instead of a prophetic voice speaking against its promotion of violence. The politics of Jesus were not and are not of any kingdom here on earth. We are to be a community that disciplines and is disciplined. The faithful must find ways to be a city on a hill instead of allowing the nation to be it for us.
Read the whole interview here:
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