Observation or Participation

We had an outside dog named Duke on the farm when I was growing up. He had free rein to do as he pleased. He was pretty good at causing mischief and pretty bad at hiding it. A number of times he would approach us in the early morning acting as though nothing was wrong, but it was painfully clear that he had tangled with a skunk overnight. I am sure all of you know that smell, and when it is fresh and on a dog's fur, it's especially pungent. You might also be familiar with some of the unique recipes for removing skunk smell.

Now, imagine that my family mixed up a batch of skunk stench remover, called Duke over to have him stare at the mixture for a while, then we sent him on his way. I am sure you would agree that that would not be very helpful.

It would be just as helpful as if you were doing yard work on a hot summer day. You finish working, go inside, and turn the shower on. You watch the water for a few minutes then turn it off and go about your day. Imagine if you were frustrated saying, "I don't get it. I'm still dirty, but I turned the water on and everything!"

I find that these illustrations fit my spiritual life. Sometimes I am only looking at life in Christ but not entering into it. Sometimes I get frustrated, and then I realize that I am like that person just staring at the shower but not getting clean because they won't enter the water. We think about praying, but we rarely pray. We own five Bibles but rarely read them. We know about fasting, but we rarely do it. Perhaps we forget that communion is the medicine of immortality. Maybe we treat confession and church attendance as optional. There are many ways that we can look at life in Christ but not enter into it.

At this point, I can start to feel guilty, and I want to be careful. Guilt can get our attention, but it is a terrible motivator. When many disciples started to leave Jesus, He asked the apostles why they stayed. They didn't say, "We are just staying out of guilt." Peter described their motivation saying, "You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6:68-69). Also, St. Paul tells us what motivated Jesus. He does not say that it was the guilt set before Him. He tells us that Jesus did everything "for the joy set before Him" (Hebrews 12:2). In a similar way, my prayer for us is that we would not enter into life in Christ out of guilt but out of a deep longing for eternal life and joy. I am sure that if you asked Fr. Tom why he wants you involved in Church, he would say that he wants you to find life and joy in Christ here.

Fr. Thomas Hopko shared five things that God gives us for our spiritual growth where we can find joy in Christ: Scriptures, Sacraments, Services, Saints, and Suffering. With each of these, we can either be like the person watching the shower water, or we enter in to be cleaned. We can set aside time daily to study the Scriptures. We can participate in a Sacramental life where we meet God and become more like Him. The yearly cycle of Services in our Church will guide us through life in Christ. We have the Saints who pray for us in heaven and the saints on earth, meaning all the Christians in our parish, that are here to help us grow. Finally, in Suffering there is the possibility of finding deep connection and joy in Christ. Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Let us all examine ourselves to see if we are only observing or if we are entering into the healing embrace of Christ.

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Originally published in the Holy Apostles E-bulletin. Subscribe here.