Change, led by spirit

Rev. Karl Rahner often mentioned that there have been only four radical changes in Christianity. "The first three," he contended, "happened in the Church's first century-and-a-half; the fourth took place in my lifetime."

The original two happened so early that the sacred authors had to deal with them. The first sprang from Jesus' delayed Parousia, which demanded a switch from a "short-term" to a "long-term" faith. Paul refers to it in his first letter to the Thessalonians, the earliest Christian writing we possess.

The second change, the subject of Sunday's first reading (Acts 15:1-2,22-29), was the switch from being a Jewish to a Gentile church. (The third, coming came in the second century after the scriptural canon was closed, replaced Jesus' and our sacred authors' Semitic thought categories with Greek categories.)

Slow change

Though some biblical writers imply these changes took place quickly and decisively, students of both Scripture and psychology know such fundamental transformations come about slowly, and with much confusion and pain.

Luke ends the Jerusalem Gentile/Jew discussion by having the Apostles and elders state, "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities."

Though cut-and-dried, we know these authoritative words informing Gentiles that they didn't have to convert to Judaism before converting to Christianity weren't going to settle the problem once and for all.

Paul's letter to the Galatians reminds us that the "discussion and debate" lasted long into the future. Some who remembered that Jesus originally intended to reform Judaism found it difficult to share His faith with people who didn't know Jewish rituals and history.

The transition would have been quicker and easier had everyone shared in the visions the author of Revelation experienced (Revelation 21:10-14,22-23). The writer steps out of this world into a place in which reality takes on a different hue: "I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God almighty and the Lamb. The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb."

In the Gospel (John 14:23-29), Jesus reminds us that we don't share such a glorious existence on earth. We depend on the Spirit to guide us in the changes we make.

"The Advocate," Jesus promises, "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have told you."

It's no wonder, having lived through the first two basic changes, that John goes even further in chapter 16. There, Jesus proclaims, "I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when He comes, the Spirit of truth will guide you to all truth."

Spirit's guidance

It's clear to John that sometimes the Spirit leads us to truths that seem to run counter to what they believed the historical Jesus originally wanted them to hold.

That's why John places Jesus' comments about the Spirit in the love context permeating His Last Supper discourses. Jesus states, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them and make our dwelling with them."

Given human nature, it takes a while before love of one another wins out over the dissensions and debates prompted by the Spirit.

By the way, the fourth change that Father Rahner said happened in his lifetime occurred in the 1960s when the Second Vatican Council taught that there's no longer a sacred culture or language. Any culture and language becomes sacred when we employ it to express our faith.

We've got a long way to go before we begin to accept Swahili as being as sacred a language as Latin.

(5/10/07)