Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • December 10, 2021 17 This is the tenth column in a 10-part series provided by the Arkansas Catholic. BY CATHERINE UPCHURCH Special to Arkansas Catholic Over the years, I’ve been in several Bible study groups and other faith-sharing groups. One of the temp- tations I’ve noticed is that we can be hesitant to wel- come newcomers or consider splitting a group that is too large to be effective. We value the relationships that have formed and the trust that has developed in the group, and rightfully so. It is rare in our world to expe- rience the intimate kind of sharing that can be found in groups that have long been together, especially if their sharing is meaningful. I can well imagine that the closest followers of Jesus might have felt the same way. Sometimes this group is referred to as The Twelve (John 6:67; Luke 9:1; Acts 6:2) and other times as apostles (Mark 3:13- 19; Matthew 10:2-4). Scripture tells us there are women of Galilee who accompany them (Matthew 27:55-56; Luke 8:1-3). They travel with Jesus, sleep out under the stars togeth- er, argue over what he was doing or not doing, share meals and listen to his teachings more consistently than any others that we know of. We can easily imagine those closest to Jesus wanting to stay together and con- tinue experiencing this intimacy, and yet Jesus decid- edly demonstrates that is not the way. Most obviously, Jesus teaches by word and example the power of welcome. His apostles, while all Jewish, include a tax collector, a member of the zealot party and several fishermen. Two are overly ambitious, one is a doubter, and one is a betrayer. Jesus himself dines with all manner of sinners -- tax collectors who col- luded with the Roman occupiers of Palestine, Pharisees who thought themselves above the Mosaic Law and known sinners. He speaks in pub- lic to a Canaanite woman of ill repute and defends another woman caught in adultery just as she is about to be stoned. He touches lepers and those pos- sessed by demons, those who were true outsiders. In all these ways, Jesus is showing his apostles that unex- amined loyalties are short-sighted and counter to the message of God’s kingdom. Jesus also teaches that while it is necessary always to follow and learn from him, this emerging community cannot turn on itself and stay comfortable. The goal is always to move the tent pegs, so to speak, to widen the circle. And so, Jesus sends them out: to heal and drive out demons (Matthew 10:1; Mark 6:6-13) and to proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2). We know that even when Jesus was alive, this was not an easy task. They are sometimes rejected or scorned. And after Jesus returns to his Father and sends the Spirit, the going is not any easier. The Acts of the Apostles describe how Jesus’ followers suffer misunderstanding, arrests, being run out of towns and even martyrdom. The rhythm of going out and welcoming in is the rhythm of evangelization in every generation. It requires the flexibility to widen our hearts to others and the energy and will to share the Good News beyond the comfort of our usual relationships. It requires that we allow others to encounter Christ through us. It is not an easy task, but it is an essential part of who we are called to be. In a 2014 address to the Pontifical Mission Societies, Pope Francis encouraged the whole Church: “It is Christ who gives us the strength to undertake the mis- sionary path and the joy of proclamation, so that the light of Christ may illuminate those who still do not know him or have denied him. This takes the courage to go forth to ‘reach all the peripheries in need of the light of the Gospel.’ We cannot be held back by our weaknesses or our sins, nor by the many obstacles to the witness and proclamation of the Gospel.” Questions for reflection or discussion: 1. Where do you feel most comfortable talking about your relationship with Jesus and your struggles in the spiritual life? And how do these experiences help to nourish and deepen your faith? 2. When you consider how Jesus welcomed a wide variety of people during his public life, are you intimi- dated by doing this as well -- or encouraged? 3. Look around your parish community. Does your local body of Christ reflect the diversity found in the larger civic community where you live? What are some practical ways that your community might become more committed to going out and then welcoming in? 4. How might Jesus be asking you to introduce oth- ers to Christ? What are the gifts you have that can be put to use in this effort? “Each of us should find ways to communicate Jesus wherever we are … to offer others an explicit witness to the saving love of the Lord, who despite our imperfec- tions offers us his closeness, his word and his strength, and gives meaning to our lives.” -- Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, 121 Catherine Upchurch is the general editor of the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible and contributes to several biblical publi-cations. She writes from Fort Smith. Be-Attitudes for Believers Upchurch Learn the rhythm of evangelization: Go out and welcome Two-time Christopher Award-winning author Christo- pher de Vinck knows firsthand the truth of the Scripture verse from Isaiah 11:6, “A little child shall lead them.” He saw it in his home, growing up with his severely disabled brother Oliver, about whom he wrote the acclaimed mem- oir, “The Power of the Powerless.” Christopher has now applied that idea to a Christmas novel called “Mr. Nicho- las,” which tells the story of a boy with Down syndrome, his self-absorbed father who can’t accept his son’s dis- ability, and the Santa Claus figure who helps bridge the divide between the two of them. We discussed it recently on “Christopher Closeup.” Christopher recalled that no one knew anything was wrong with Oliver after he was born, until one day when his mother noticed he was staring directly at the sun and realized he was blind. Christopher explained, “As the years progressed, they realized he had no intellect. They came to Mount Sinai Hospital, the doctor did all sorts of tests and said, ‘Take him home and love him.’ My mom said that was the best advice a doctor could give...We fed Oliver, bathed Oliver... He lay in bed for 32 years. He could not see, talk, learn, [or] even chew. But my mom would always remind us how blessed we were to have our health, and to have the compassion and love to tend to somebody who was so weak and helpless...The one thing he did, in the middle of the night, he would laugh and laugh. We never understood. My sister said, ‘He’s probably laughing with the angels.’…It’s hard to explain Oliver, except that he was physically a mess, but he was spiritually whole.” JB, the boy with Down syndrome in “Mr. Nicholas,” has fewer physical problems than Oliver, but he is spiritu- ally whole as well. JB’s father, John, on the other hand, is not. Though Christopher has met many parents of children with disabilities who are loving and supportive of their kids, a few were not able to accept their child’s condi- tion. They inspired the character of John, who agreed to have a child with his wife to strengthen their relationship. Instead, it wound up driving them apart, mainly because John prefers to keep his relationships superficial -- and be- cause he can’t accept his less-than-perfect son. It takes the actions of the jolly, white-bearded hardware store owner Mr. Nicholas to help John see JB as the wonderful, loving child he is. When I asked Christopher about God’s role in his writ- ing, he referenced the line from the movie “Chariots of Fire,” when one of the runners states, “I run because God made me fast. I run for His pleasure.” Christopher believes his talent for writing connects him to something higher. He also hopes that readers of “Mr. Nicholas” find that connec- tion themselves in the book. SEE LIGHT ONE CANDLE, PAGE 21 Light One Candle Rossi A child who is spiritually whole