c. 2005 Religion News Service
(UNDATED) In coming weeks, I will meet with church leaders in two cities to think through their congregations’ futures. If they want to make a positive difference in a troubled world, what should they be doing?
It’s easy enough to make a negative difference. Get on some high horse about cultural politics, sexuality, other people’s morality, religious doctrine or some other matter of opinion. Ask a silly question that trivializes the Christian enterprise into a yes-or-no on, say, having an American flag in the chancel or a certain judge on the Supreme Court. Demonize a certain group, make a certain religious fight the “last stand” in God’s battle with Satan. Or do just the even easier work of balancing the parish budget and keeping the doors open.
Religious high horses are pleasing to ride. Tussles over right-opinion build crowds, fund movements, sell books, amass power and enable us to avoid the inconvenience of what Jesus actually said and did. Institutional maintenance keeps the Gospel at a safe distance. Dividing and labeling people makes it unnecessary to actually deal with people.
If only our right-opinions and institutional orderliness fed the poor, healed the sick, clothed the naked, sheltered the homeless, caused enemies to become friends and nurtured oneness in the body of Christ, we could relax and consider our work done. Unfortunately, right-opinion adds little to human welfare. The travails of life rarely yield to doctrine or order.
To make a positive difference _ to improve the lives of actual people _ faithful folks will need to grapple with the difference between compassion and right-opinion, and then cast their lot with compassion.
Right-opinion _ correctness in definition, theory, doctrine, sometimes labeled “truth” _ is more satisfying than compassion. It is work of the mind and therefore controllable, safely distant and non-intrusive. Compassion, on the other hand, is work of the heart and therefore messy, unsafe and personal.
Right-opinion puts the locus of truth out there, in an external that can be argued about but then shut off, as one shuts off a television set. Compassion starts inside and takes the self out into the world where it can feel pain and allow engagement.
Right-opinion confers power _ from superior reasoning, skillful research, clever debating or loud shouting. Compassion leads inexorably to loss of power, as self gives ground to other.
Right-opinion scours the Bible for laws and rules; compassion scours the Bible for God’s overarching message, which turns out to be justice, mercy and love.
Right-opinion yields control _ thoughts set neatly on a page, no room left for doubt, ambiguity or other points of view. Compassion drowns in the ambiguity of injustice and human diversity. Compassion not only feels the pain of, say, hunger, but senses the unique perceptions and questions that hunger instills in the hungry. Compassion wonders why one eats and another starves. Compassion spins out of control and plunges into disorder.
Right-opinion plans a mission trip as an obligation of the fortunate. Compassion notes that helping another feels good but wonders why the fortunate get to leave and the needy have to stay. Right-opinion goes home justified. Compassion goes home uncomfortable.
Right-opinion believes the institution must serve its members, because they are paying the bills. Compassion lives for the wretched and all who are beloved of God. Right-opinion serves by showing members correct ways to believe and to behave. Compassion serves others by losing, giving away, dying, standing alongside _ whatever it takes to do what Jesus did.
In my opinion, a healthy community of faith can only be built on compassion, as lived by Jesus. Any other foundation is the sinking sand of pride and ambition.
(Tom Ehrich is a writer, consultant and leader of workshops. His book, “Just Wondering, Jesus: 100 Questions People Want to Ask,” was published by Morehouse Publishing. An Episcopal priest, he lives in Durham, N.C. His Web site is http://www.onajourney.org.)
KRE/PH END EHRICH
