This past weekend I was visiting some friends at their apartment. They have a six month old baby. Not long after he was fed, the father picked him up and held him. The baby's stomach must not have been completely settled because he spit up on his father's back. Watching this child's parents' as they calmly responded - cleaning the mess and comforting the child - made me think.
As a general rule we do not get upset when infants act within their nature - infantile. Parent's don't punish their infants for soiling their diapers, spilling food, spitting up, or any other action that is natural for their state in life. (If you know any that do, you should call CPS immediately!)
We as humans have a natural fallen state that has been with us since the fall of Adam and Eve (Gen 4-5). It is our sinful nature. As redeemed Christians we have access to Christ's grace for forgiveness and sanctification (Romans 2)- so that our sinful natures can be overcome and our lives to Christ. Even so, we still stumble and fall and make fools of ourselves along the way. We fall down and then get up.
When we encounter our fellow sinners that are "un-churched" or have not yet had the experience of knowing Christ at all, they may sometimes say or do things that offend or hurt us. They may even say things that are blasphemous and profane to shock us (examples abound: The Davinci Code, John Edwards' bloggers, etc.). If these people are protesting a hot button social issue counter to our faith - and are in sufficiently elevated emotional state -they may even spit on us or try to assault us. (not all will act this way, but some will).
We should not be the least bit surprised by this behavior.
If we as redeemed Christians find ourselves more often than not acting in "un-christian" ways toward others, how can we expect better behavior from those who have not had any of the immense gifts and graces that we have been fortunate to have received.
How should we respond?
Why can't we respond the way a parent responds to their infant child? (not the ones that you called CPS on earlier). Good parents expect and prepare. They respond with love and focus their immediate attention on the child's needs - rather than their own inconvenience.
As I mentioned in my first post I got spit on by a pro-abortion counter protester when I was a teenager. I didn't respond the way I should have. I avoided reacting in kind - perhaps only because the assailant ran away.
It is not enough though just to avoid reacting in kind. If we endure the attack and then publicise it to show everyone our saintly endurance or to embarrass the other sinner than we will have again accomplished nothing and have already received our reward. (Matthew 6:5-6).
Without expecting recognition or validation, we must humbly focus on fulfilling Christ command:
Luke 6:27-29 "love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred, Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God's blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you]. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Very interesting points. I like this new site!
Great posts. Welcome to the blogosphere!
Amen.
Owen
luminousmiseries.ca
Excellent reflections. This is a much needed blog!
I agree. I especially like the "baby spitting up" metaphor; it's a good trumpet call to real virtue.
I happened to be thinking almost the exact same thing recently. So many Catholics that I hear - especially on the internet - get really really angry at pro-abortion politicians, or cafeteria Catholics, or *insert whatever group you think is in error*. And when they rant against them or judge them unfairly, I wonder what God thinks. I've struggled for an adequate image to show how God can rejoice in someone's existence and progress while they remain a serious sinner. And the parent image is the perfect one. A parent rejoices in their child's existence and celebrates their every small success; a parent does not dwell constantly on the ways in which the child fails to act like a mature adult, but does encourage and discipline the child in developmental-stage-appropriate ways to continue to move the child forward.
And sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we need to have this same attitude of charity not just towards those who are opposite us on the cultural wars, but those of us on the same side of the cultural wars who themselves lack the attitude of charity towards those on the other side... if you follow that sentence.
Post a Comment