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I Walk The Line

 Kevin Gregorek, one of my buddies in a cohort I can’t tell you about—like Fight Club, but way cooler—compliments me fairly often for my ability to weave in and out of both Catholic and (orthodox) Protestant communities without going insane. Well, that last part is definitely in question. [You beat me to it.—ed.]

In a lot of ways, I’m not even the best candidate to do it. I “got saved” in the evangelical parlance at 17 or 18, went to college, became Reformed and a huge nerd that I always was, baptized at 21, spent ten years there, and sought full communion with the Catholic Church at 31, actually receiving a Master of Theological Studies degree from Ave Maria University in 2014, after beginning an MDiv at Covenant Theological Seminary in 2005, and abandoning it in 2011. (At the same time I was received into the Catholic Church.) You could look at that and go, “Gravy, he’s either an idiot, a slacker, a cripple, or all of the above,” and you’re right on all counts.

On one hand, I know I am extremely anomalous as this hyper-intellectual guy who goes Protestant-to-Catholic. (Data shows the Church of Rome loses more of its children to Reformation communities than I could ever help her gain back.)

On the other hand, while I am fully convinced by faith and reason that the Catholic Church is the one founded by Jesus Christ, I like being around the rest of you. I have no overwhelming interest in bashing anyone, and provided that you retain at least the flicker of hope that I can be saved, let’s be friends. These blog archives definitely read like a squirrel has been drinking Mountain Dew whilst double-fisting Halloween candy and reading Catholic apologetics for almost 20 years. Sorry.

The point being, hyper-intellectuals aren’t the usual Catholic clientele. On the other hand, we’re likely to claim a few mega-nerds in the centuries and millennia. The Church is the guardian, if not of the true faith, certainly the peak of natural human wisdom.

I guess I could say that while entering was by no means smooth, it was natural in a sense, looking back. No one should rock any boat, unless there’s a hole in it. I had a problem. You don’t go yelling at Jesus and following him crazy places without a reason. If you are happy, stay there. I seriously have no idea what an evangelical is anymore, but if you have no reason to believe Jesus is taking you to Mordor, don’t go. The incense and robes aren’t that cool, by themselves. If you know it ain’t working, though…

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