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I Guess I Believe Nonsense

Someone on my social media feed said that the alleged evidence for the Catholic Church being the Church Christ founded was "nonsense." I guess I can say in reply that if one refuses to admit the possibility, it's hardly news that one denies it.

It got me thinking, though: What were the highlights of considering that possibility? I think the moment I realized that an invisible Church could only exist as a mental abstraction. And further that one wouldn't be able to hold any kind of center, if any person could define the universal Church and its dogmas any way they liked. Realizing that the New Covenant is supposed to be bigger and greater than the Old, so you're not going to get rid of sacrifice without calling the God of Abraham crazy. Realizing it's safer to be in the same Church with Augustine, instead of calling him a papist toadie.

In the end, realizing that Jesus won't leave me, or lead me astray. Realizing this is still true, even if I or my brothers and sisters become a stumbling block to others. Realizing that people who refuse to enter may be afraid of things they don't understand. Realizing that I was afraid. Realizing I should do it anyway, because God loves me.

Realizing that the God of the Bible is the God of hesed, faithfulness, steadfast love, and has been so to His Church, though variously, we are not so to Him.




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