But even when witnessing means less than giving one's life, it always implies separation from the world. One cannot witness to that with which one is identified. Garlic cannot witness garlic. it is only because the Church is holy (that is, separated) that it can bear witness to the world. Light cannot witness if it becomes so dim that it can hardly be distinguished from darkness. The priest is the salt of the earth. "If salt becomes tasteless, how is its saltness to be restored? It is now good for nothing but to be thrown away and trodden underfoot". - Matt. 5:13 -
Politics, economics, nuclear testing, poverty programmes, housing - all these are within our power, but we have to be different. As Bernanos strongly witnessed: "Jesus did not say, 'You are the honey of the world,' but rather, 'You are the salt of the earth." No one witnesses to Christ who sugars students and muggers and fornicators and abortionists and builds for them Golden Calfs before which they prostrate with our blessings. It is a dubious sign of the Christ-life in the social order which allows people to believe that they have no wounds and the Good Lord "wants them to have a good time". Witnessing need not be "wordy" or "preachy".
A young man lived with a roommate who had the walls lined with nudes and erotic aphorism. Instead of protesting, he one day hung up a large portrait of Christ crowned with thorns. After sometimes all the offensive pictures were removed. Helmut Thielicke says: "When the Kingdom of God breaks in on the Last Day, God will destroy the saltcellar and overturn the bushels; for the judgment of God will begin with the household of God.
And I fear that then Christendom will present a very sad picture, a conglomeration of tasteless salt and evil-smelling wicks. And saddest of all will be the very ones who were most religious, the very people who heard the Word of God together and knew more about the presence of God. they will constitute the largest contingent of the rubbish."
3. The priest-victim is not so much a critic..................
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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