TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
6 SEPTEMBER 2020
Jesus
promised that the gates of the netherworld would not prevail against his
Church, built on the rock of Simon Peter’s profession of faith. But, he did not promise that his Church would
be free from conflict. After all, the
Church he founded is not made of physical buildings. It is a community of frail human believers.
Knowing
that conflict will always be a part of his Church, Jesus gives clear guidelines
for resolving conflict within the Christian community. The first step involves confrontation. If one member sins against another member, he
or she should approach the offending person and offer fraternal correction. Like the shepherd going after a lost sheep,
this encounter needs to be both honest and loving. This first step hopes for conversion and a
change of heart. If this first step
fails, then the offended person needs to bring a couple more members who are familiar
with the situation for a process of negotiation. Hopefully, these witnesses will be able to
resolve the conflict before it spreads further.
If this second step fails, the next step involves adjudication – going
to the leader of the Church. In the case
of the parochial Church, this step involves me.
In the case of the local Church (the Diocese), this step involves Bishop
Rhoades. If none of these attempts fail,
the rare action of excommunicating the offender is possible. Taking these steps affects our presence in
the world, because reconciliation is crucial for the mission of the Church, This process is extremely
difficult. It is much easier to complain
about an offender’s action to other people instead of actually approaching the
offender with authentic love and genuine concern for the good of the
other. Taking this step often ends in
failure. That is why Jesus recommends
the next step. The intent of gathering a
couple of people to approach the offender is not to form a posse to attack that
person, but to make more evident the damage that has been done. And, of course, there is always recourse to
the Church (represented by the one who is charged with authority). Fortunately, the Church excommunicates very
few people these days. If offenders do
not get their way, they usually separate themselves from the community.
At this
particular time, we need to heed the Lord’s instructions on handling
conflict. Too often, parishioners want
to skip the first two steps and go immediately to the Bishop to resolve their conflicts. I know from my own experience as one of his Episcopal
Vicars. The Bishop calls on me, his
Vicar, to meet with people to try to resolve their conflicts within their
parishes and with their pastors. In skipping
the first two steps, they forget that the task of binding and loosing is
actually entrusted to them, if they only accept their responsibility to
approach offenders with love and honesty.
To make matters worse, the dynamics
of this pandemic have increased the conflicts that are already part of our
parish community. In our isolation, it
is much easier to magnify the grievances and disagreements that are always part
of any well intentioned Christian community.
In our divided society, everyone has his or her opinion about how the
pandemic should be handled. Today’s
Gospel offers the Church as a way of resolving this conflict. Bishop Rhoades has given us clear guidance on
how to proceed. His guidance has
resulted in requiring us to wear masks, to avoid congregational singing, and to
curtail our gathering together as a community in our normal ways. Whether we agree or not with his specific
instructions, our obedience will carry us through this difficult time, as well
as our love of neighbor. In the second
reading, Saint Paul describes love of neighbor as fulfillment of the law. The Lord promises that where two or three are
gathered in his name, he will be in our midst in the unity that comes from the
Spirit. The Lord is in our midst, giving
us courage to face and resolve our conflicts with love.
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