Another significant reading couched in the clear foolishness of the apostles: "They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest."
These great lessons always seemed tempered by the human reality, the silliness that makes up so much of the world, as if Christ is always putting His big vision in the admittedly limited human context and asking us not to be too self-critical. This reading raises problems like the Messiah suffering, the notion of "service," the unsettling real meaning of "accepting a child" and the frustrating "But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him" where the apostles refuse to pursue complex questions to their clarification.
The specific question today, emphasized by Pope Francis' visit to the U.S., is this:
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
While not a perfect reflection, it is representative enough to remind us of the Pope's philosophical background, "Liberation Theology," a peculiarly South American view of social and economic theory. It is anti-colonial and anti-capitalistic--to my mind a xenograft. The capitalist arm is very interesting, particularly here. The apostles' "who was greatest" argument early in the gospel has a very competitive, "capitalistic" feel to it.
Christianity is essentially a philosophy of personal responsibility--a philosophy not amenable to class or statist "group" interpretation. How Liberation Theology fits with this kind of elemental thinking is difficult but no more difficult than the tendency of these religious leaders to lean to the more centralized power philosophies that have, historically, have been so hostile to independent religion.
These great lessons always seemed tempered by the human reality, the silliness that makes up so much of the world, as if Christ is always putting His big vision in the admittedly limited human context and asking us not to be too self-critical. This reading raises problems like the Messiah suffering, the notion of "service," the unsettling real meaning of "accepting a child" and the frustrating "But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to question him" where the apostles refuse to pursue complex questions to their clarification.
The specific question today, emphasized by Pope Francis' visit to the U.S., is this:
“If anyone wishes to be first,
he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”
While not a perfect reflection, it is representative enough to remind us of the Pope's philosophical background, "Liberation Theology," a peculiarly South American view of social and economic theory. It is anti-colonial and anti-capitalistic--to my mind a xenograft. The capitalist arm is very interesting, particularly here. The apostles' "who was greatest" argument early in the gospel has a very competitive, "capitalistic" feel to it.
Christianity is essentially a philosophy of personal responsibility--a philosophy not amenable to class or statist "group" interpretation. How Liberation Theology fits with this kind of elemental thinking is difficult but no more difficult than the tendency of these religious leaders to lean to the more centralized power philosophies that have, historically, have been so hostile to independent religion.
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