8 June 2021
Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
One of the great questions historians ask is why Christianity spread from one of the myriad religious systems doting the shores of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas to the primary religious expression in late antiquity. Those adhering to the narrative of Salvation History would see the development of Christianity as the fulfillment of God’s divine plan in Christ in union of the Holy Spirit. This opinion would not be shared by many at a history conference. Yet, the phenomenon is a real one and it can’t be debated that Christianity spread and it spread through the lower classes. In short, historians note that Christians were good people and that their actions created converts. Though not complete, this certainly is not the worst accusation one could launch against the Christian community. On a warm summer afternoon, read through the epistles of Paul and note the two themes that run as a constant current through his writings. The first theme is the redemption of all humanity through the action of God in Christ and the requisite response of God is one of faith. The second theme embraces the idea that this faith has its witness in actions, particularly a moral life. These two ideas are inseparable in Paul as they are in the correct understanding of the relationship between faith and works. And on that same summer afternoon, imagine a world in which Christ’s followers would put their faith on a lampstand and live a life illumined by that faith.