Making paths straight

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One of the things that I most rejoice in the Church of the 21st Century is that the Church has become a little more human. There seems to be a greater understanding of where the complications of the world lie especially in everyday human lives. This has come about largely thank God with a more human approach to the Gospel message and a better balanced life in the clergy it is a shame that sometimes this humanness does not get translated further up the Churches authority especially when it means welcoming home those who have lapsed.

To make our paths straight as a Church means that we have to prepare to look more deeply at ourselves for the only person I can change is myself. We are invited in this advent season to have a spiritual spring clean to look at ourselves and see where we need to straighten those paths this can both challenge ourselves and also the Church. So let’s look at each in turn.

Making our paths straight means looking more deeply at whom we are and our reaction and interaction with the world. Are we in right relationship with those around us in our parish/home and place of work? For by our daily living we should “Prepare a way for the Lord.” I expect the trouble is that we don’t always do it very successfully. Those who are lapsed struggle at the best of times to see where being a Christian works but they might have an higher ideal of those who actually go to Church to behave in the right sort of way. 

But, I feel, the Church also has a responsibility in both preaching the truth but also making that truth accessible. I do not think that it has helped people to make their own paths straight. In some places it has done the latter and put barriers up.

So what needs to be done? In this Advent season and especially in this year of faith we are encouraged to challenge ourselves to be a parish and an individual who will reach out this can be as simple as a smile or noticing the stranger.
For the Church we need to look at what it means to spread the Good News get out there not to hide behind rules and regulations. If people are not going to come to us then we need to reach out to them. How many people outside these walls have you invited to come and see? Jesus did not wait for people to come to him He went to them then after that hard work they slowly came to him attracted by the message he had. Let us again listen to the words of today’s Gospel

“Every valley filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low,winding ways will be straightened and rough roads made smooth, And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.
How seriously are we taking this? 

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