The extra mile
W
Paul Griffin on Christian morals and where they stand in relation to ordinary human morality and common sense
hat are secifically Christian morals? If we can decide that, it may help us find our way through the problems that beset us. Our main problem seems to
be that every other instruction of Our Lord seems to conflict with common sense. If someone takes my mackintosh, I am to give the thief my overcoat. If someone punches me, I am to encourage him to have another go. Te first thing to say is that just as Jesus did not come
to destroy the law, but to fulfil it, we do not have to deny ordinary human morality and common sense, which are giſts of God anyway. Specifically Christian morals are an extra, not a substitute. Society offers ordinary remedies like counselling,
probation and psychotherapy. If these are too formal for us, problems may still be solved by susending punishment, offering to excuse an offence on condition the offender atends Alcoholics Anonymous, or Anger Control, or whatever. Sadly for our inner urges, a clip on the ear is rarely a solution, for there are other courses consistent with kindness. One does not want to encourage people in violence
or dishonesty, and both we and the ancient Jews have a law selling out how we are to correct them. Would Our Lord disapprove of all this, when it has roots in what we understand of biblical teaching?
Parables
So we turn back to the New Testament, and find parables
that seem to suggest impossibilities. Is it so wicked or natural for the labourers in the vineyard to be ruffled when the late arrivals are rewarded, or for the Prodigal Son’s brother to feel miffed at his sibling’s treatment? I suppose it can be said that it is a question of being tempted, which is not a sin.
We may long to do the wrong thing, but the essence of any morality, Christian or other, is not to give way. Fair enough; but that is still not a secifically Christian way. If we should resist temptation, what else is leſt to do? Like Alice, I suddenly find myself walking back towards
my original concern, our current church organization. Tere are so many moral dilemmas over that. A gleam of light exists there, in that the Archbishop has been right to refrain from the entirely reasonable punishment TEC has otherwise earned for itself, by combining larceny of our name with violence to our principles. His forbearance seems somehow in a line with those strange examples of Our Lord’s. Can we show a similar forbearance in the irritation we feel towards others closer to home, and can they with the resentment they feel towards us? By human logic, one side is presumably right and the other wrong.
The extra mile
In our puzzlement, we turn to the masterly C.S. Lewis,
and read: ‘I do not believe that one can setle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare’ [Mere Christianity, based on his wartime broadcasts]. When we relate this to Our Lord’s words, perhaps we may begin to see a difference between Christian and human morals. In all our troubles, it is the extra mile that is the Christian
mile. Our human laws, like the Jewish Law, can cope with most eventualities. Specifically Christian morals are the extra bit, and cannot be subject to any law. Tey operate in each separate situation; so the curious acions recommended by Jesus are not to be codified, because each one is unique. In that sense, we have to ask ourselves what we can do to help.
ND
Taking the Devil seriously
‘T
Nicholas Turner explains why discretion is important when called upon to combat the forces of demonic evil
he Devil is at work inside the Vatican.’ What a delicious headline
for a non-story that was. Even more exciting was the assurance (from many newspapers) that Fr Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican chief exorcist, had performed 70,000 exorcisms. At 85, he has had a long career, but that would have been a phenomenal work rate. It must have pleased one of our
correspondents of last autumn, who had taken the CofE to task for ‘its coyness
24 ■ newdirections ■ April 2010
about exorcism.’ Actually, that is how we do things. Which makes it interesting to speculate how far an Anglican ethos in exorcism will transfer to the Ordinariate. Discretion, and a resolute avoidance of publicity, are both essential ingredients in this area of priestly work. I am a Bishop’s Advisor for the Ministry of Deliverance, one of (generally) two in each diocese: you will not find this information in the diocesan directory, but if you ring the Bishop’s Office, they
will pass you on to me or my colleague, and we will help. You are wanting an immediate
exorcism? I am being flippant, but the simple answer is ‘No you don’t,’ and ‘No I won’t.’ It is precisely because it is so serious that we do not rush around like a couple of ghost-busters, with holy water or zip-up Bible, sorting out demons. The problem will have taken time to develop, and it is not to be dismissed that easily. Whatever demons are, they
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40