Weird Ideas: Catholic ChurchExemplo

Being catholic means a wide embrace.

There’s a classic joke in nearly every denomination that talks about a believer who dies and goes to heaven. While there, he sees other believers everywhere, but notices a wall with some people behind it. So he asks Jesus or St. Peter who those people are, to which he answers, “Oh those are the [Baptists/Lutherans/Catholics/Reformed/Pentecostals/fill-in-the-blank of whatever denomination you choose]. They think they’re the only ones here!”

That is not catholic.

Every denomination suffers from denominational purists. Non-denoms too. From inner circle groups. From those who, by seeing their teaching and practice as superior, come to shun those who don’t share in it. It penetrates every local church. It can tempt any believer.

The early creeds stand against this. Both the Apostles’ and Nicene agree: the Church is catholic.

Being catholic means recognizing what God is doing through believers around the world and throughout history. It means recognizing we’re part of the same family, Christ’s family. This is why early Christians called each other “brother” and “sister,” and why that practice continues through today. Sometimes we fight with our brother. Sometimes we don’t agree with our sister. Sometimes we don’t even like each other very much. But we’re still family. We’re all equally adopted by Christ, sinners saved by grace.

What drives you nuts about believers of various stripes and varieties living in your neighborhood and around the world today? How can you love and embrace them as family despite this?