I’m looking for a book for my teenager on our
faith that isn’t of the “sugar sweet” variety. Any suggestions?
I just finished reading Fr. Greg Boyle’s
new book entitled Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship and
I simply CANNOT recommend it enough. His voice and stories are as close as it
gets for me to the voice of God - the true good news of God’s unfailing mercy –
and not one sugar sweet sentence to be found.
If you haven’t already gathered from my
articles, I deeply appreciate a smattering of irreverence woven into the Gospel
message rather than the pages and pages of tired platitudes often found in Christian
book stores these days. Fr. Greg has this brazenness mastered! So if you have
someone in your life (maybe yourself) who is worn out and turned off by
Christianity because of all the empty rhetoric – Fr. Greg is the ticket! To
give you a taste, here is one of my favorite quotes:
“We think that Jesus wants a fan club, undulating
crowds, gushing adorers, clamoring for autographs and sideling up to him
proclaiming “I’m your biggest fan! I have all your albums. I’ve never missed a
concert!” As is often said, Jesus doesn’t say in the Gospels “worship me” but
simply “follow me.”
I recall being interviewed on the
Christian Broadcasting Network by a woman who, just having listened to the
litany of things we do at Homeboy Industries (the largest and most
successful gang intervention, rehab, and reentry program in the world)
from tattoo removal to job training, case management to mental health
counseling, paused cautiously once I had finished and asked “but how much time
do you spend at Homeboy Industries each day praising God?” I actually didn’t
know what to say to that, but found myself saying “All damned day!” How does
praise please God anyway? Or what would God find pleasure in? Find the thing
that quenches God’s thirst. Since God is on the receiving end of all this
praise filled attention, it would seem to make sense to ask ourselves what kind
of praise does God have any interest in?
I received an award once at a gala
dinner. I was the second to be
recognized and the woman before me was breathless while giving her acceptance
speech and she said “First, I need to thank Jesus Christ, because, after all,
without him I am nothing!” And all I’m thinking is “hostage video.” I’m
imagining Jesus off stage behind the curtain holding this woman’s dog with a
pistol to old Fido’s temple. “That’s right” Jesus says and nods “Damn right you
better thank me.”
I already knew that in my speech I would
not be thanking Jesus. This is not because he is less important to me or my
life. But I know with all the certainty in my being that Jesus has no interest
in my doing this. To just say “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, I’m your biggest fan”
causes him to stare at his watch, tap his feet and order a double Glenlivet on
the rocks with a twist. Fandom is of no interest to Jesus. What matters to him
is the authentic following of a disciple. We all settle for saying “Jesus” but
Jesus wants us to BE in the world who He IS….Somehow the highest praise of God
is not in speaking words of praise, but rather in speaking a language of
inclusion where barriers are dismantled and circles are widened and no one is
left outside. No one. Safe to say, this pleases God, because this is God’s only
passion. (P.S. Fr. Boyle’s earlier book
“Tattoos on the Heart” is also amazing.)
Send your Crazy Catholic Question to Lisa
Brown at dre@ctredeemer.org or read past columns at www.crazycatholicquestions.blogspot.com.
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