By Brenda Hopf
Connecting Faith and Life
In response to this question posed in a newspaper, “What is wrong with the world?” Catholic author G.K. Chesterton wrote back, “Dear Sirs: I am.”
This newspaper query is an “age-old” question. What is wrong with the world is as hot a topic today as it obviously was in the time of Chesterton over 100 years ago.
It’s common practice to judge and scrutinize the state of affairs in our world, pointing out what we perceive to be “wrong.” We throw our hands up in disgust and shake our heads in disbelief, most often without considering that by virtue of our earthly existence, we too contribute to what is wrong in this world, whether that be “in what I have done” or “in what I have failed to do.”
But, how can that be? For the most part, we are good people. We work hard, take care of our families and friends, go to church regularly and maybe even pray for the wrongs of the world to change. This is good, right? What more could be expected of us in a world that is so messed up? Seriously, what difference can one person make?
Let’s go back to the original question, “What is wrong with the world?” and we each answer, “I am.”
That answer is not a pleasant thought. Yet, like it or not, by reason of our baptism, each of us has a role to play in righting the wrongs of this world. The dismissal at every Mass sends us on our way to do that. We are to be missionary disciples of Jesus, called to help change the world, for the better, one person at a time.
The idea of being sent forth as a missionary disciple seems to throw us for a loop. We do not feel “qualified.” It’s uncomfortable. We just don’t know where to start.
To encourage us to rise to the challenge, I want to share with you a homework assignment that I was given a few weeks ago at a two-day evangelization/discipleship workshop I attended.
Before Sunday Mass, we were to pray to the Holy Spirit to guide us as a “heat-seeking missile” to find a person we did not know, or had seen before but didn’t know their name or knew their name but had never spoken to. After dismissal, we were to introduce ourselves to this person and initiate a conversation.
When the workshop resumed that afternoon, we were each asked to share our experience. For some of us, this was outside our comfort zone, but as we began sharing, it was clear that the Holy Spirit was at work. As I listened to story after story, God moment after God moment, I was amazed at how many lives were touched in a positive way that morning, including my own. There were even a few tears of joy as we proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that one person, led by the Spirit, can make a difference.
I invite you to join me in doing a little evangelization homework. Make a commitment to do the exercise I described above. To hold ourselves accountable, let’s ask another person to do the same. Make it a point to share your experience with one another. Every encounter is going to be different and you may get no further than just exchanging names, but I can guarantee if you open yourself to the movement of the Spirit, positive things will happen.
This is the way Jesus and the Twelve Apostles spread Christianity across the world. The apostles learned how to live like Jesus through their personal relationship with him. He then sent them out, two by two, and they made a difference for someone else and the fire of the Good News spread across the world and is still burning today.
I encourage you to continue to fan the flames of Christianity. Occasionally, maybe sit in a different pew or attend a different Mass time. Call upon the Holy Spirit to guide you as a “heat-seeking missile” as you humbly begin to change the culture of your parish, which in turn will positively affect the world.
Brenda Hopf is a member of Divine Mercy Parish.