Just be yourselves as church

Even from the early days of the Church there were different groups competing for people’s allegiance. “I belong to Peter, I belong to Apollos, I belong to Paul…” We read of this again in the passage from today’s first reading (2 Corinthians 11:1-11). Here Paul voices his frustration at the fact that some members of the community at Corinth, who had originally converted to faith in Jesus Christ through the preaching of Paul, were now following another group of what Paul calls “super apostles” who were proclaiming a different message and a different Jesus. Paul appeals to, what he boldly claims to be his own deeper understanding of the Gospel message and deeper commitment, reflected in his refusal to become a financial burden to the local community. This rivalry for people’s allegiance is still evident today through the competition for ratings between religious television channels and televised church services. I still prefer the simple approach of Pope Francis who is constantly under the watchful eye of many television channels. Yet he leads services and acts in a way whereby he seems oblivious to the television camera, like the time a young down’s-syndrome girl escaped the grasp of her mother and the efforts of a Swiss guard to restrain her when Francis indicated that he was happy to allow her to come up and sit in his chair as he was giving an audience. Francis then simply took her hand and continued on with his speech. What’s the problem? It was so natural. This was a photo-opportunity that not contrived. It simply showed a church leader who was at home with people wherever he may be. Please remember Pope Francis in your prayers. Many are not happy with him because he is so down-to-earth and open to questions we were not allowed to ask before. But I can unabashedly say that I am pleased and proud that he is occupying what we still call “the chair of St Peter” at this time.

 

Tom Rouse.