Called to Love

The inspiration for my thoughts today comes from a most surprising source. Well, surprising to those of you who are faithful readers of this Blog. Bishop Tobin, in his weekly column in the “Rhode Island Catholic” produced a point that I found very intriguing, honest, and sincere on the issue of Homosexuality. He received a letter from a gentleman in the Diocese who recently learned that his grandson is gay. In his critique to the Bishop he argued;

“Many men and women could not find themselves in love with a person of the same sex unless God made them that way. What is very serious is the attitude of disapproval and even violence that is often extended to gays. We are called to love everyone and not to be judgmental. When Church leaders speak out, it gives silent permission to others not to love gays.”

As the Bishop continued in his thoughts on the matter he said this;

“But the letter I received points to a broader dilemma for the Church, a dilemma the Church faces just about everyday as she navigates her way through the trials and turmoil of the contemporary world. The question is this: How does the Church preach the truth of the Gospel without harming or alienating people whose lives are touched by those issues?”

You see I would agree that the Church has a mission to preach the Gospel. Some of the manifestations of that message, undoubtedly get fogged, and misinterpreted as it passes through the filter of humanity, but the mission is there none the less.

I would never imagine Bishop Tobin to stand in a pulpit and support Gay Marriage, for example. As the Shepherd of the Roman Catholic Community in RI, he is called by God to not do such a thing. Similarly, I would never expect MY Bishop to stand in a pulpit and preach AGAINST it. I think that once we decide that we subscribe to a certain theology, then we subscribe to all of it, not just the parts that we find comfortable. Which is why we are always careful not to judge others, because how many of us really and truly at every moment of everyday , live the life we subscribe to perfectly. We certainly try, but it doesn’t always happen.

It has been implied in the past from a good number of more then one individual, that I use my blog to promote Independent Catholicism, and take people from Roman Catholic Pews. That could not be further from the truth. What I hope is that readers will stop and think about their own lives. You see I think that so often we get so wrapped up in our own lives, and our own issues we forget about the bigger picture.

Election Season is a prime example of that. Many people vote soley based on one issue. There are gays who only vote based on that issue, there are Conservative Catholics who vote based soley on the Abortion issue. Its so easy to sometimes campaign against something that we feel strongly about, but there are so many other issues out there to think about. With so many issues floating around out there, its nearly impossible sometimes to find a candidate that we agree 100 percent on with everything they say.

So to Bishop Tobin, I say kudos for acknowledging a very realistic thing that faces the Roman Church today. Indeed it faces any major organized Religion that subscribes to Christianity. Just as it is a challenge for Bishop Tobin to speak out as he is called to, without alienating anyone, so too it is difficult in other faiths. The Independent Catholic movement is very faithful in it’s commitment to same sex couples having the same rights as any other couple, yet that doesn’t give me the right to speak in anger against the Roman Church. I know that I have in the past, but I don’t have the right to do so. All of us who are involved in any form of Christian Ministry are called to stand up for what we believe, without apology. . . However, that doesn’t give us the right to attack one another, otherwise we become as petty as the many quote we see on the front page of the paper, as people bash one another in the political campaigns.

Let’s take Bishop Tobin’s advise, and be strong in what we believe, let’s live every part of it everyday, realizing that we don’t need to attack those who stand on the other side of the fence, because the primary mission of Christianity is to love, and to love all. We don’t have to agree, but we are called to love.

God Bless You