“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried” – G. K. Chesterton
Another classically awesome Chesterton quote.
There is a sense that Christianity is only old hat. It’s been around for so long and so many people, cultures, and even civilizations have tried it. Yet, despite such endlessly common efforts, they seemed to have still fallen short. They didn’t produce the missing link, the holy grail, or that secret to life that makes sense of this mysterious existence. Christianity is just a worn out pair of shoes, used when useful and in the end “found wanting.” That’s the common perception anyway. But it’s wrong.
The truth is that the Christian life has largely “been found difficult and left untried.” And because of that we’ve never actually experienced the fullness of the Christian ideal.
There are some who have actually overcome the difficulties, given it a fair try and did not find it wanting at all. They’re called Saints. So before we go writing off Christianity as more of the same old hat, consider looking to the Saints and trying on a hat that you perhaps have never fully tried.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
This a brief but straight to the point blog!
Great job! Love the quote:-)
I am currently reading Chesterton’s Biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas (again) Chesterton’s gift was to cut to the chase (or in some instances the quick) and passing on a matter-of-fact confidence to all of us who believe. I think there used to be a show on EWTN about Chesterton called “The Apostle of Common Sense”, that just about sums up Chesterton’s work. As always, Mr. Warner, your thought provoking blog has me thankful to be Catholic. Peace.
With many young Catholics starting to embrace new ways of evangelizing, I am hoping that Christianity will begin to excite people the way it did in the past. With groups like Grassroots films that make gorgeous, believable, and exciting testaments to the Church and the growth of Catholic media in general, I think that a new dawn in Catholicism is not that far off.
Great quote, very inspiring. Chesterton usually is!
Totally agree man! It is only a matter of time before this media revolution gets a hold of the fullness of the pure, beautiful Truth. It’s the ultimate subject matter. Will be amazing to watch it unfold and participate.
I love Chesterton. I backed into him via the Father Brown mysteries, and then discovered his introductions to Dickens, Orthodoxy, St. Thomas Aquinas, The Flying Inn, Chaucer, his Autobiography and so on. Even us non-Catholics can appreciate his faith, his wit and his intelligence. And his compassion.
That was an awesome quote. I rather like this hat, if I may say so. :-)
I love this hat, too! And one of the things I love about it is continually finding that this hat I’ve chosen needs pulling down a bit further.
Every time I think I’ve got it on straight and looking nice, I find that I need to wrap my head in it even deeper. Every time I think I’ve “tried” it…I find that there is so much more to try. So much more to give of myself to God that I hadn’t seen before. I expect and look forward to that happening over and over again over the course of my life. It’s the great journey and the road to sainthood.
I find this quote both relevant and profound in a rather simplistic way––but have also just finished a two year debate with a Catholic friend of mine that left me very wanting. After two years he could give me no Biblical references for his faith, or even in defense of his faith. And it is not just him, it is many of my Catholic family members and friends. Most simply won’t talk about it. The list of unbiblical practices as well as the history of the Catholic church also leaves me with many questions, and wanting––well, more. More relevance, more answers, more consistency. I by no means am intending to be rude or disrespectful, but true Biblical Christianity and Catholicism do not appear to be the same thing. Few have sincerely tried the Christian faith, while many have tried religion and been left wanton. Most religions have some value to them––moral codes or ethical guidlines by which to live––but without a personal relationship with the principle giver––we are destined to be left yearning for more. Are we not? My allegiance is to no church, or religious hierarchy, nor is it in any religious rituals. My allegiance belongs only to the God of the Bible, and have found much peace there. Bottom line is, I don’t understand my Catholic friends.
How does a Catholic know for sure that Heaven will be his home when this life ends?
As a Bible believing Christian, I place my faith in what the Bible says, verses like: Titus 3:5, Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:36…
“How does a Catholic know for sure that Heaven will be his home when this life ends?”
Short answer: we don’t know for sure. Even St. Paul did not know for sure: see 1 Cor 4:3-4, or Phil 2:12. However, by living in the Body of Christ, by conforming our will to Christ’s, we have an assurance of salvation–based on our trust in God’s fidelity to his promise. And that promise is not given, generally, to individual persons, but to the community, especially in the great teaching and prayer at the Last Supper, John 14-17.
Even look at a text like Matt 16:13-19: He asks the disciples as a whole the question “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, and he gives Peter the office of being the rock and foundation of the Church–and the power to forgive sins, later granted to all the disciples in 18:18.
I am not nearly as brave as the strict Bible-based Christians. I do not have sufficient trust in my own judgment in every regard to commit my salvation to my own understanding and insight, to be able to judge for myself where I am in error and what weaknesses I cannot see to repair, or even to be able to interpret every part of the Bible without error. Instead, I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me–through the Church. I trust the companions Christ has chosen for me–the holy men and women throughout history that have been identified as exemplary models of holiness, who are still in the Church (The Apostles’ Creed line about “The communion of saints” that we believe in.), as well as those still awaiting death in this life. I trust Jesus, who promised and prayed, “I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me,” and other such things (John 17, esp. 17: 20-24), and earlier, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. . . . The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name–he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you.” (John 14: 18, 26)
Boniface,
Neither of the references you provided, 1 Cor 4:3-4, or Phil 2:12, have anything to do with the idea of uncertainty. The first speaks of the judgment (see chapter 3 for greater context). In fact the previous chapter ends with this statement, “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ [is] God’s.” Sounds kind of certain to me… In the second, the word *work* carries with it the idea of completion, fulfillment, or active obedience, and not the idea working to earn ones salvation. That being said, you go on to say, “However, by living in the Body of Christ (believers are the body), by conforming our will to Christ’s (we are conformed *by* Christ–no by our own will–(see Galatians 5:22-25, Romans 8:7), we have an assurance of salvation–based on our trust in God’s fidelity to his promise.” Now we do have an *assurance* of salvation? I thought you just said we didn’t have any *assurance*? Can we trust Christ’s promise or not? Yes? That sure sounds like assurance to me! If there is no assurance, what then do we do with verses like I John 5:13 (that ye may know that ye have eternal life) , II Cor. 13:5 (examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith), and Romans 8:1 (no condemnation)?
What does the Matthew reference have to do with this topic?…
“I am not nearly as brave as the strict Bible-based Christians.” Interesting that you call them ‘Bible-based Christians’… shouldn’t we all be Bible-based?
“I trust the Holy Spirit to guide me–through the Church.” So in other words, you trust the Church, that you believe is guided by the Holy Spirit and does in fact interpret every verse without error? And how does one know this? Because they say so? Does the Advocate not come to all believers? Or does he just come to the important people that make up the hierarchy of the Church? By the way, if you look up *church* in the Strong’s Concordance, it tells us that the church (assembly, actually) is any gathering of *believers* – the believers are the church. We as believers are the body (I Cor. 12:27), the body is made up of true believers. Now, if the Catholic interpretation of Church (with a capital C) is correct, please define for me just what this Church IS–the buildings, the hierarchy, the practices–what exactly IS it?
When we are told that if we believe on him that we have eternal life, is that not assurance? (John 3:36) If he goes to prepare a place for them, do they not know? (John 14:2) Why are we told to examine ourselves if we can’t know? (II Cor. 13:5) If we are saved through faith, and we have faith, is there yet no certainty? (Eph. 2:8-9) If to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, do we still cross our fingers? (II Cor. 5:8) Do we trust the men whom the Church teaches are hand-picked by God, or do we trust and search the scriptures ourselves? (John 5:39, II Tim. 2:15, Acts 17:11) When Christ tells us that he is the way, the truth and the life; is he not showing us the way, giving us the truth and promising us life? (John 14:6)
Lastly, when the Catholic reads the scriptures that use terms like, save, saved, redeemed, or that promise eternal life, what does that mean to the Catholic? When the Catholic refers to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, what do they mean? Saved from what?
When you say that you have no assurance, does that mean that you may end up in hell eternity, despite doing your best?
The Bible came from the Catholic Church through oral Tradition. The Church is the body of Christ. Until Luther broke away from the Church all Christian’s were Catholic. Since 1500′s almost 40,000 different Protestant ‘churches’ have been formed. When the congregation can not agree with what the Bible says they split up and start another church. Jesus never told anyone to write down what he said. He told his Disciple’s to go out and spread his word after giving them the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive will be forgiven them. Jesus made his Disciples priests. They had no bible until their oral tradition were wrote down in the New Testament. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament. There are numerous excellent sites that teach what Catholicism really teaches. Micheal Voris, @ realcatholictv.com is excellent, along with EWTN, The Journey Home, Deep in Scripture. Please read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. That is the best place to learn what that Catholic Church really teaches. God Bless you on your journey.
Jesse,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments and questions! First, let me apologize on behalf of the Catholics you’ve met who did not make sure you found the answers to your questions. Your questions are certainly understandable and I can see how not ever having them answered would lead you to doubt the Catholic Church even more.
Second, let me assure you that absolutely nothing the Catholic Church teaches contradicts the Bible when interpreted properly. I’m sure you disagree with that! But I hope you’ll at least hear the Church out and listen with an open mind to the possibility that such a thing just may be entirely true.
Third, I encourage you to check out some more of the posts on the blog here. We try and tackle a lot of the big issues and a good discussion usually follows in the comments. You may be able to get some of your questions answered that way. Then we can go from there!
To begin, I suggest you check out this post here: Why do Catholics believe in things not in the bible?
I would love to know what you think! God bless!
That is one of my favorite quotes of all time. I wonder though, whether Christianity is left untried because it is difficult or if it’s just that people lack role models and/or imagination. Or maybe it is that materialism, ego, and preaching obscure the love that is Christianity. It seems to me that most people don’t know what Christianity is.
As a middle-age, Catholic male who is struggling with Church leadership (and its always about leadership) I found that the answers to those of us who long to seek insight on the “wanting side of Catholicism” is so often lost in the diluted, situational and wish-washy Theology that has become the Catholic Church in America. There is almost a sense of fear amongst priests of offending the congregation. I guess they feel that people can’t handle the truth. My Dad always asked, “Was Jesus afraid of offending anyone?” Not likely as he knows, and is, the one Truth.
I’ve actively played the role of diligent steward (time, talent and treaure) and found that he Church has become a competition of personal agenda between laity and the ordained. These agendas are divisive and quite frankly immoral and duplicitous.
I would much prefer that there be a return to traditional, simple values and avoid that which is preached from pulipts and discoursed on in th Philadelphia area: the most ho-hum homiletics that I have ever experienced in the “AMERICAN” catholic Church.
I fear that the “American Catholic Church of Accommodation” has lost its way and made the 10 Commandments mere “suggestions” all in the name of, you guessed it, MONEY. I believe that the Catholic Church is “maintained” in America purely as a funding source for its wider mission. While I recognize that different cultures require different approaches and the importance of missions in this world, do you think the content of sermons in Third World Missions are presented as the same moronic pandering that goes on here in this country, or are they the simple wisdoms and insights that we all need to navigate the complex society in which we live?
Please, give it to us striaght and prune the tree. It will only come back stronger!!!!
Wisdom. I’ll take it ANYWHERE I can get it. I love Chesterton. Thanks!!
{ 4 trackbacks }