| "This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true." John 21:24 |
| “The Catholic Miscellany” February 7, 2008 "Eight Truths Every Catholic Should Know" Editor’s Note: This is the second of a series of columns Fr. Jeff Kirby is writing for Lent. |
In a casual conversation some time ago, a good friend of mine told me that she was looking into Asian religious practices. I was intrigued,
and asked her to tell me more. As the discussion moved on, I was alarmed by her growing excitement over Eastern spiritualities. This friend
was a Christian, and I wrongly thought that her interest was merely cultural. It became very obvious to me that she was investing a lot of
religious conviction and heart into these Asian beliefs and practices.
Eventually I inquired how her assent to these non-Christian beliefs complemented her acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as the Son of God,
and how they fit into her life as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. This dear friend of mine told me that they were “all the same.” She supposed
that the polytheism of the far East and its system of beliefs and practices were “the same” as the monotheism and theology of the Christian
religion.
Needless to say, this comment prompted a very long discussion.
Towards the end of our discussion, I asked her: Don’t you realize that when you declare Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Savior, you also
acknowledge all other claims of divinity to be false? She thought such a claim was arrogant and narrow-minded.
From the Fall of man in the Garden of Eden, the world was given a promise that it would be ransomed and readmitted into God’s family. The
whole history of Israel, as the Chosen People, is the drama of the promise, the struggle of fidelity to its decrees, and the anticipation of its
fulfillment. Israel’s waiting is the waiting of all humanity. It is the waiting of each person.
In the fullness of time, God sent his Son to be born of a woman. Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecies of old, and began to preach the
kingdom of God. He revealed to humanity the Triune nature of God: that God is both the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God himself is
forever a communion of Persons, a divine Family. To all who believed in him, he gave them the power to be born again and adopted by God
the Father.
In accepting the lordship of Jesus Christ, a person acknowledges, “Here, in this One, only in Him, are my hopes and the hopes of humanity
fulfilled. In him, only in Jesus, can I find the full answers, complete meaning, and ultimate purpose of my life and the life of humanity.” The
person realizes, “Jesus is my savior and the redeemer of the world. Only in him am I am saved from the trends of this world, from the
emptiness of sin, from the lies of the devil, from my own fallenness and weakness.” The Christian knows: “I need the Lord Jesus to help
me, convert me, and walk with me.”
How can inquiries into Eastern or New Age spiritualities complement this total assent to Jesus Christ? It would seem that something of the
Christian conviction would have to be lessened or compromised. Almost as if to say: “Jesus is good and he can help me, but he isn’t
enough. There are some other spiritual approaches and deities out there that might be able to help me, or even help me more. Jesus isn’t
everything. I have to look into other things. Maybe I can find God or myself better in something or someone else.”
This diminishing of belief is contrary to the teachings of the Lord Jesus and of the eternal plan of God for humanity and for each person. I
believe this because I am Christian and I assent to the truths of the Christian religion. Jesus is enough.
It’s worth periodically reminding ourselves of what being a disciple of the Lord Jesus is truly all about. In saying “Jesus is Lord,” we say that
he is everything, and in him alone is our salvation and hope.
The Rev. Jeffrey Kirby is the parochial vicar at St. Mary Help of Christians parish in Aiken. Please visit: www.jeffrey-kirby.com.
| Second Truth: "The Lordship of Jesus Christ" |
