Many beautiful thoughts here. My reservations over the Catholic faith does lie doctrinally, but I like to think that I am no typical Protestant in these sense that I do believe we call love each other in Christ and while seeking Christ as we passionately degree and pray that God sorts our differences out between us. I appreciate your observations very much, you took a seemingly routine news image and brought it alive for me. Thank you.
I am glad that you wrote to me, to others. It is important we share that we have differences. Yet it is more important that we love each other through those differences, even in spite of them. Jesus did not say that we will be known as Christians by our doctrinal harmony, but our love for one another. And love is hardly necessary where there is agreement or harmony: Love kicks in when there is conflict, disagreement, disharmony.
Not that doctrine isn't important. I'd be the last to want to honor heterodoxy. But orthodoxy without love is dead. In fact, without love, orthodoxy is not orthodoxy.
It is an honor to share with you the power of one simple photograph.
The picture really stirred me when I saw it, BG... but you are right. I never looked past the man in White to the man in Black... never really 'saw' him.
I saw the wire. I 'saw' the 'souls' of those martyred there, both Jewish and Catholic and others. I saw the evil, and the good... and I saw that God was there all along, and His Promise never broken, in spite of the Evil wrought there.
But I don't look with the eye of a true photographer ( I often take nice pictures, and even sometimes 'good pictures'... but they don't become 'professional level' at any time ). So I never noticed that tiny figure in the background.
And you are correct. I won't forget this photo. I would not have forgotten it BEFORE reading your words here, but now, will not forget it BECAUSE of them.
Well, you know eyes, so I defer to you. But thank you for commenting. I hope the photograph gives you lots to think about. As Fr. Neuhaus once wrote to me, Rome awaits to welcome us.
6 comments:
Bill,
Many beautiful thoughts here. My reservations over the Catholic faith does lie doctrinally, but I like to think that I am no typical Protestant in these sense that I do believe we call love each other in Christ and while seeking Christ as we passionately degree and pray that God sorts our differences out between us. I appreciate your observations very much, you took a seemingly routine news image and brought it alive for me. Thank you.
Brad
Brad,
I am glad that you wrote to me, to others. It is important we share that we have differences. Yet it is more important that we love each other through those differences, even in spite of them. Jesus did not say that we will be known as Christians by our doctrinal harmony, but our love for one another. And love is hardly necessary where there is agreement or harmony: Love kicks in when there is conflict, disagreement, disharmony.
Not that doctrine isn't important. I'd be the last to want to honor heterodoxy. But orthodoxy without love is dead. In fact, without love, orthodoxy is not orthodoxy.
It is an honor to share with you the power of one simple photograph.
Peace and mirth,
BG
In fact, without love, orthodoxy is not orthodoxy.
Amen, Bill.
Brad
The picture really stirred me when I saw it, BG... but you are right. I never looked past the man in White to the man in Black... never really 'saw' him.
I saw the wire. I 'saw' the 'souls' of those martyred there, both Jewish and Catholic and others. I saw the evil, and the good... and I saw that God was there all along, and His Promise never broken, in spite of the Evil wrought there.
But I don't look with the eye of a true photographer ( I often take nice pictures, and even sometimes 'good pictures'... but they don't become 'professional level' at any time ). So I never noticed that tiny figure in the background.
And you are correct. I won't forget this photo. I would not have forgotten it BEFORE reading your words here, but now, will not forget it BECAUSE of them.
God bless.
Good eye, Bill, good eye.
I too "am more Catholic than not," making for "the best of times and the worst of times."
Mike the Eye Guy,
Well, you know eyes, so I defer to you. But thank you for commenting. I hope the photograph gives you lots to think about. As Fr. Neuhaus once wrote to me, Rome awaits to welcome us.
Peace.
BG
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