Fr. Bob – Moving Away from a Fear Based Religion
The first two words of the profession of faith we say at every mass after the homily are “I believe”. Two interesting words. I believe what? I believe that we’re going to get a lot of snow next winter. Can you blame me. I’m a skier. I believe that the construction on Highway Five will be completed within my lifetime. And I’m going out on a limb on this one, but I believe that the Vikings will someday win the Super Bowl. Maybe not in my lifetime but they will win it.
What do I believe about God and why do I believe that? You know how “doubting Thomas” put his hand into the side of Jesus and so came to believe? Well over the years I’ve put my hand into the side of life and have come to believe this about God.
I believe that the God I pray to is not a wrathful God who punishes us for our sins. I believe that the God I pray to is a God of sweet love who loves me even in my sins.
I believe that with God there’s justice and mercy. I believe that it’s by God’s justice that we get what we deserve and it’s by God’s mercy that we get what we don’t deserve. I’ve experienced both.
I know there are those who maintain that there will be a day of reckoning when a wrathful God will make us pay for our many sins. True, I believe that at the end of our lives there’ll be a time of reckoning where we’ll be called on to give an accounting of our lives.
But who is that God we stand before? Is it the wrathful God? As the father of the prodigal welcomed home his son despite his many sins I believe in a God who welcomes me home every day despite my many sins.
I believe that I can obey all the rules and do all the right things but if my heart remains hardened against certain people nothing, changes in here (Point to heart). God wants my heart and if I’m not willing to give him my heart nothing changes.
I believe that even though my sins keep me from God that God uses my sins to draw me close to his heart. And it’s when I feel his heart in me that my hardened heart softens.
I believe that holiness is not just a matter of good behavior. As a priest I can do holy tings all day long without becoming holy. If there’s any holiness seeping through us it happens because our hearts are softening under the burning rays of Good’s love.
I believe that getting to heaven is not just about avoiding sin. As the twelve-step tradition reminds us, getting to heaven is more about daily handing our lives over to the care of God which in many ways is much harder than correct behavior.
I believe that while a fear-based religion may get people to stop doing bad things a true conversion of the heart comes not from fear of punishment but from a love-driven desire to do what is right.
So, the question, are you here at mass today fulfilling your Sunday obligation just to keep God off your back? Or are you here today to thank God for having your back? Which would you prefer it be? That’s up to you.
In the opening line in today’s Gospel Jesus tells us, “Fear no one”. And I’m going to say that includes God. Just knowing that may be just enough to make the shift from keeping yourself off God’s bad side to knowing that God is on your side. Which would you prefer? That is up to you.
Thought for the day
Fail forward -learn from your failure and move forward.