One of the most profound lesson I learnt about our Christian faith happened some years ago when an insistent mother demanded to have her baby baptized. There was no connection with the Church and strong resistance to any teaching of our faith.
I pointed out to her as gentle as I could that what she was asking was not baptism. She looked at me so firmly and stated her non-negotiable position, “I’ll make it what I want!”
This is the way most people actually live out their religious faith, or live out the poverty of their religious faith, by making themselves the standard. What I do is good enough!
In the dregs of the Catholic experience there is much untruth and unpleasant memories. I use the word ‘dregs’ to indicate that we need to be aware of what is festering in our Catholic psyche. Probably this young mother was coming from a background where there was so much fear that if you did not find a priest to pour the water on your baby and something negative would happen, you would be a terrible parent for the rest of your life. Your ‘unbaptized’ baby was no good before God. Never doubt the hold that superstition can have on peoples’ lives.
If you are like this young mother you are convinced that you are right and no one can challenge you with the truth!
Religion has its bad side. People will hang on for generations to their fears that this baby will be condemned to a limbo because God is so terrible.
Not everyone lives in a healthy functioning church. When you are a living part of a faith community you will be challenged and have to readjust some of your thinking about God, Church, sin, redemption and eternal life. When you are part of a healthy church you will be questioned and challenged on some of your interpretations. This is a healthy part of spiritual and human growth.
Built into this “ I will make it what I want” is the resistance to conversion to the Gospel way of life. Jesus challenges us to turn toward God’s plan for humanity. He calls us to make a radical change in our lives and follow the Good News of the Gospel. Each believer must undergo conversion on their adult journey.
But how can you hear the call for conversion if you are already leading a satisfactory religious life?
It is not only individuals who resist conversion. The entire Church can get locked in to mindset that resists the call by the prophets among us to change our way of being Church, to change our unjust business practices and the ways that we exclude the poor from the benefits of our society.
A healthy Church is a faith community that is responding to the call of Jesus to change our lives. It demands a real turning towards the sharing life in Christ. It demands that we get on board with the life-project that Jesus brings us, that is to grow into the likeness of Jesus Christ in our own space and time
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