Jesus walks

As an adult, I've always thought that the Church does a great disservice in painting a portrait of a warm and fuzzy Jesus. I remember going to catechism when I was little and it was all about Jesus and the little children and lambs and love and sunshine. I think the reality was a man who pushed the boundaries of the status quo so far that they felt they had no choice but to kill him. He was a radical, and I think saying that is more helpful than singing "Jesus loves me" a thousand times over. It's a helpful philosophy to take on in business, relationships and yes, even faith. Stand up for what you believe in, and know that there will be a cost. Hopefully, it will not be as drastic as death. Hopefully you will make a difference. At least you will have tried. And there is still a place for the doctrine of unconditional love in all of that. In fact I think one cannot follow without the other.

In looking at all this recent coverage of John Paul II after his death on Saturday, it almost looked like he started out with the warm and fuzzy stuff with that "John Paul 2, he loves you" declaration. But it's clear that there was some radical activism there: supporting First Nations on land claims issues, and standing up with the Solidarity movement. Too bad it wasn't there for liberation theology but hey, he isn't God after all. Pobody's Nerfect.

Okay, but here's my problem. There are no women priests in the Catholic Church. Priests are denied the right of marrying and have full lives like the rest of us (and yes, that should include same-sex marriage too). Contraception, despite it's benefits as a tool against overpopulation, is just not an option, at least officially (ask a bunch of "practicing Catholics" in Canada and they might disagree).

But then I come across a conundrum I've been pondering for some time. Am I a hypocrite? Why is activism that supports my beliefs more right (and in keeping with the tradition of Jesus) than others? Last week, while I was cursing the US government for getting involved in the private matter of Terri Schiavo, I was forced to ask myself, but if the situation were the reverse, if the government wanted to overturn court decisions that I was fundamentally opposed to, would my opinion be different. I ask again, am I a hypocrite?

I think if, by some miracle, the next pope appoints women as priests, bishops, maybe even *shock* cardinals, he will have to do so by saying that God didn't intend women to be second-class human beings and not because there aren't enough priests to go around. Because that, my dear friends (as Father Ben used to begin his sermon), would surely be hypocritical.

Oh, there is so much work to be done. And I think Jesus walks among us hypocrites who care enough to think about it.