“Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”
O n the one hand I am delighted to be reminded that my thinking must conform to God's way of thinking. On the other, I wonder about supposing that God thinks at all. It seems to be a daring supposition. How could anything I do, say, or think be compared to God's acts, words, or thinking. I get especially uncomfortable when someone suggests, "Well, those are human traditions and God doesn't think we have to conform to them."
Someone asked me if it's okay that her left-handed grandson makes the sign of the cross with his left hand. Someone might readily assure her, "I'm sure God doesn't care...." I think God cares.
I explained that the Roman Catholic Church signs with the right hand, and Orthodox Catholics -- Greek, Russian, Byzantine, etc -- sign with their left. The child would be signaling his allegiance to a different form of Catholicism, and then have to engage the Great Schism of 1054, and the recent attempts of rapprochement.
It might be a bit much for an eight-year-old. I think he'd do better to learn our ways. But if he insists on his peculiar way, he will learn that everything -- meaning Everything! -- has a history; and it's better to know that history before you go changing things or declaring you know better than two millennia of thinking.
All of which does not address the Lord's rebuke, "You are thinking as men think!"
We learn to think as we learn a language; we learn to think in that language and we struggle to understand concepts that are expressed in different languages. Often we just learn the expression and its meaning, and insert them into our speech with italics or an asterisk (*).
Christians learn to think as God thinks by studying Hebrew, Greek, and a smattering of Aramaic; and we've learn to think with our Christian tradition by studying Latin, and many other languages of the universal Church. (Some spiritual explorers like to study Sanskrit or Chinese to learn religious notions of India or China, and then explore their possible use for Christians.) However, most Christians are satisfied with good translations of the Bible in their own language.
But the study of the Bible in any language can only take us so far. To think as God thinks we must be guided by the same Spirit which led Jesus from Nazareth to Jerusalem, and the disciples from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. And, Catholics in particular believe that Spirit has never failed to guide, challenge, rebuke, and reform the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic, (and peccant Church) throughout many centuries of tormented history.
Some of us are saints and live exemplary lives; all of us are sinners and need the rebuke, healing, and guidance of our fellow Christians. We might think outside the box but we should not think without the Holy Spirit which informs the whole body. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)
For that Holy Spirit we pray daily; and our Good God gives an ample measure for the asking.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.