Stop and Listen

I grew up in an Ireland which was 95% Catholic. We also had the Church of Ireland, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, but that was about it. One of my memories when I first came to Florida was a billboard which read "Bartow's 37 Churches Welcome you."

It has troubled me over the years that Christians were so divided, so wasteful of their efforts to bring members to Christ in their particular church. I fantasized that the Christian Churches of a community should unite to give a presentation on the basics of Christianity over several weeks, followed by brief presentations in each church on what made their church more Christian. Unlike recent election primaries, I would hope that the most convincing presentations would focus on the many achievements of the other churches and their fidelity to the Gospel, while humbly admitting their own failure to live up to their mission.
I admit that this was a fantasy. Too often we seek members as candidates seek votes. Our goal seems to be recruitment of numbers to our church rather than leading souls to Christ. Historically we have tried to achieve this by denigrating other church communities. Our mission is not a popularity contest. Recent history shows that such groups, particularly those focused on a preacher or pastor rather than on Jesus Christ, are self-destructive.

As Catholics we must look back and admit our responsibility for many of divisions we see among Christians today. Much of what occurred was due to pride, to a struggle for power, to a stubborn refusal to admit our sinfulness and need for reform. Stubborn prelates waved anathemas and excommunications without listening to their flocks.

Much of the dissention, confusion and indeed scandals we experience today are due to the same closed minds and deaf ears. Why can't we wait and hear each other out? I heard as a child: "The man who made time, made plenty of it." Let's try to use it wisely by listening.