Faith and Authority: An Evening Reflection

In today's gospel narrative the centurion impresses Jesus with his trust in the chain of command. "I...am a person subject to authority," He tells Jesus, "with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come here, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it.”  Undoubtedly the centurion knows the value of being the responsible link.  If everyone is conscientous in regard to his or her duty, great things happen--Rome conquers the world.

Now, what about faith, and what about our personal responsibility in relation to faith, in terms of the analogy of the chain of command? 

While the message today has the theme of trust and authority, it seems most clear to me that today's message is more about trusting in a sure authority.  Undoubtedly, our responsibility is part of the overall equation but even more the gospel speaks to us about the faithfulness of God toward us, though often our faithfulness is subject to failure.

The true responsibility of the believer is to depend upon his or her Master with full trust.  The story of the faith of the centurion serves to show us that faith can be a thing easily understood, and not too different from everyday structures of relationship and hierarchy.  The overall theme of faith in authority makes great sense to me, working in a large organization that depends on a chain of authority.  In everyday situations things will either happen or they won't.  However, in an organization that is run well by responsible individuals, each doing his or her duty, each being conscientous regarding the greater good, magnificent things happen--you just trust in those who are in charge while you do your best with those things over which you have charge.

I suppose when it comes to talk of authority that many people stop listening.  We live in an age that has problems with authority.  I think my generation and my slightly older brothers and sisters have tended to have an acute distrust for authority.  It's the result of false authority--we still see it in government, and in organizations where greed and the lust for power have taken root.  We see it in dissenters who fail to trust because false authority has failed them somewhere in their lives. However, we should take care never to confuse false authority with that which derives its power from reflecting eternal truths.

Whatever problems we may still have with accepting and being subject to authority, we must let them go and learn to trust God ultimately.  When everything in our lives is subject to the order--the chain of command--that comes from on high, faith become an easier matter and who knows what might be wrought by the might and authority of God.  When we submit to authority entirely the same authority then has an avenue to be visible in our lives.  Do our lives reflect a false authority, or is it the power and authority of the Almighty God--to whom we have complete surrendered--that is visible in our daily walk?

Comments

[JustMe]

Amen. When those in authority don't question their own authority, and when we out here do not question their not questioning, we all end up wearing the blood of Enola Gay, My Lai, and Terri Schiavo. Blood runs the same color for Rwanda, Haiti, Congo DR, Israel, Palestine, all the mideast, England, Germany, Russia, Ireland, Africa, No. Korea..

If we each questioned ourselves first about who is the source of authority in our own lives, and then, rather, Who it ought to be, we would come to the root of the problem. We would also taste real freedom, and finding it delicious, would uphold, export, outsource that.

[JustMe_again]

I forgot to add that when those in authority don't question their own authority, and when we out here do not question their not questioning, we all end up wearing the blood of a stained Church. Even well-meant blind loyalty to authority doesn't always yield a good outcome, and only later do the victims begin to come out of hiding, wondering if it's safe to show their baffling and undeserved wounds. Those in authority over us have not been lightly placed there, and are not lightly trusted. Indeed, there is great woe in our every failing to police ourselves. I'm struggling to say something positive, here, but have a time crunch.. let it suffice to say, thank you, Deacon Dan, for your loyalty and obedience and respect for the Church which springs from your loyalty and obedience and respect for God.

[Gabrielle]

I've been going back and forth for a couple of days between here and JustMe's own reflection on this gospel passage on her own site. Here I find faith and trust in Sure Authority, and there I find the promise of Sure Authority's Divine Mercy when we fail in faith and trust. Many thanks to both of you.