Why So Serious?

"On hearing it, many of His disciples said, "this teaching is hard. Who can accept it?"" (John 6:60)

I often feel, while working in the Catholic church, that many Catholics and Christians don't believe in the scriptures as seriously as they aught. Granted I use to be one of those, that if I saw someone that one might consider a religious fanatic, I would have thought they were taking it too seriously. Now don't get me wrong, there are people who claim to be Christian and will sling bible verses like the best of them who wouldn't know love if it bit them in the face. They are as Paul said a clashing cymbal. But to read and understand scripture, then to believe it and live it truly would be pretty serious because the Bible is pretty demanding. Demands that aren't easy in the life we have made for ourselves in this 21st century United States.

I recall referring to someone the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II, now Saint Pope John Paul II. After he was shot and survived the wound the Pope went to the prison of his attempted assassin and forgave him. The person I was talking with remarked, "of course he did, he is the Pope." Now we are all called to be Saints but that process just doesn't happen over night. Clearly being Pope he had been practicing the life for some time. But that shouldn't negate the greatness of the act. What would it take for you or I to not lash out in anger at someone who simple made a cruel remark at us. Much less than making an attempt on our life. And yet many of us would get angry. As Saint Peter proclaims in his first letter, "Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." That is not an easy charge, at least when it is taken lightly. To believe and follow Christ is to live a certain way. 

We live in a world where constant comfort is a must. Anything that causes anxiety or disagreement in us must go. Including all the media we take in. It is causing a separation in our society. Some people try to share the Gospel on television, or over social media. And although these media can win souls for Christ we must be careful that they don't dilute the message, and the urgency. I mean that a the seriousness that is the challenge by Christ, does not translate well to television and social media. Because they are platforms to entertain. As Neil Postman writes about in his book "Amusing Ourselves to Death", the messages can become trivial so they don't cause disagreement, because at any given moment the audience can change the channel, or in this age 'keep scrolling'. Postman writes, 

"There is no great religious leader- from the Buddha to Moses to Jesus to Mohammed to Luther- who offered people what they want. Only what they need. But television is not well suited to offering people what they need. It is "user friendly," it is too easy to turn off.... I believe I am not mistaken in saying that Christianity is a demanding and serious religion. When it is delivered as easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether." 

If we truly believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ and want to follow the teaching of the Bible that is great. Remember that it is used to guide us in how we are to live our lives, not to be used as a hammer to keep everyone else in line. It is a serious book, but just as serious about mercy; mercy that we could all practice a little more, to be able to use in our daily lives. When we focus on the demands of Christ we can see how demanding is our world in which we live. Only one will bring us true peace and joy.