Every day Christianity: ‘The simple solution’

By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

The problems are many: a troubled economy; the lack of rights for workers; climate change; war; and the ever pervasive culture of violence that allows for abortion and the death penalty.

The solution? It’s both simple and at the very heart of stewardship: a return to the practice of “every day Christianity.”

John Carr, who serves on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Department of Social Justice and World Peace, spoke in his keynote address at the Aug. 25 Stewardship Day of a broken society that needs to recall Christ’s mission on earth.

“How many of you have ever had to work on a mission statement?” he asked those gathered in the worship area of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to which several raised their hands. “The best mission statement I ever read was in Luke: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.’

“That was his mission on earth,” Carr said. “That is our mission today.”

As an employee of the USCCB in Washington, D.C., Carr knows that although a simple notion, it is easier said than done.

“One of the least credible statements one will hear is, ‘I’m from Washington, and I’m here to help,” Carr said to laughter. “Washington is not focused on the war; they’re not focused on migration. They’re focused on the next election.”

Carr didn’t blame Washington for all of society’s tribulations, but he made clear that its lack of effectiveness in addressing many of these problems has helped to create a “white water rafting” climate, in which people are being pushed and pulled by a both a government and society that is in “moral disarray.”

Despite working for the Department of Social Justice and World Peace, the father of four said his most important job is “being a parent. The hardest thing I do is trying to raise kids with Christian values in this world.”

“We’re being pulled by the current and trying to avoid the rocks,” Carr said. “We’re a divided economy. Our society is in moral disarray. Have you noticed that the only people on TV that don’t have sex are married people? In Florida they put a man to death -- they killed the man who killed a doctor whose job it was to kill the unborn. Every life is precious, whether it’s a baby in the womb or a terrible killer on death row.

“The earth – the earth is a gift,” he continued. “Climate change isn’t about Al Gore, it’s about the earth. We don’t just want a safer world, we want a better world. We are in this together, and we should act like it. Whether you’re a rancher or a meat packer, we belong to each other. Divide the jobs, not the faith.”

Re-embracing Christ’s mission on earth is more than a matter of making sure we make it to Mass. He said that we must recognize God’s gifts in our lives and use them to serve one another.

“How can we do a better job? We need to share the secret. We need to practice every day Christianity. We are called to use our time, talent and treasure to shape history, to make a difference.

“We can’t call ourselves Catholic unless we carry out Jesus’ mission.”