A CLASH OF PRIORITIES
Mike Cunningham
MARCH 15, 2015

I must say that I’m really enjoying this sermon series. Judging from the comments folks have made about it, to me personally, and/or on my blog, everyone else is too. I haven’t received a single negative comment. Although this best selling novel was written in 1983, it is still in print and folks such as you and me are inspired and engrossed with it. In fact, there were several times that I was so inspired by the story that literal “tears of joy” trickled down my face.

On the back cover of the book, the publisher says that it is “a profoundly moving, deeply moving inspiring book that no reader will ever forget. It has been called “life-changing,” “engrossing,” “inspiring,” and entertaining.” Rooted in a scrupulously accurate reading of scripture, “Joshua” has universal appeal and is a true exercise in spirituality.”

Now I’ll continue with excerpts I selected from this wonderful book.

The unforgettable voyage from New York City to Italy finally ended as,

“The Morning Star pulled into Ostia. The passengers stood along the deck, enchanted by the breathtaking scene, the ancient city rising from the shore, with houses seemingly sitting on top of each other. Beautiful pastel colors. The emerald green water was clear to the bottom. A cool breeze was sweeping across the water. The passengers were excited about landing so they could start exploring all the beauty unfolding before them.

The old ship dropped anchor. The captain said goodbye to the guests as they filed past. He shook Joshua’s hand warmly, and at the last moment threw his arms around him and they embraced. Michael, who was standing next to the captain, did the same. They thanked Joshua for everything and wished him well. The doctor was going to Rome for a few days and asked Joshua if he needed a ride. Joshua was glad to accept. He didn’t have much money and would have walked otherwise.

The ride to Rome was short. The doctor told Joshua he had thought about the talk they had the night before and that he had written in the report the facts as they occurred. He felt good about it, though he wasn’t sure what it all meant. He enjoyed the experience of meeting Joshua and doubted he would ever meet anyone like him again.

Joshua told him not to be hard on himself. He was a good man and, in time, the pieces would all fall in place and he would find peace.

The doctor left Joshua off near St. Peter’s Square. After saying goodbye, Joshua took his traveling bag and walked off into the vast square, looking wide-eyed at the grandeur and splendor of Christendom’s tribute to the majesty of God.”

“…. He walked out of the basilica, and headed for the side street where he was to stay.

The apartment house was an old stone building with a heavy wooden front door protected by iron supports. Joshua walked in and introduced himself to the little old man who tended the desk. The man filled out some papers and gave Joshua the key to the room, which was around the corner and up a short flight of stairs. In fact, it was a dead end. Joshua went up the stairs and entered the room. It was small, just enough space for a bed and a chair and a dresser. There was a simple bathroom with a shower. It was all he needed.”

“…. His appointment at the Ufficio was for nine-thirty. It wasn’t far away. After breakfast he walked to the entrance of Vatican City. Two brightly dressed Swiss Guards asked for his identification. He told them his name and said he had an appointment with Cardinal Riccardo. He still had to have identification. The only identification he had was a letter from the cardinal. If he could show them the letter, that might do.

The guard looked at the letter, and allowed him to pass. He went up the stairs to the first office attended by a Christian Brother. Joshua told him who he was and why he was there. The brother made a phone call, then gave Joshua a pass and told him where to go, sending an attendant with him to escort him through the palace.

Outside the hall where the Congregation for the Doctrines of the Faith held its proceedings a guard was standing on duty, checking the papers of those entering. Joshua showed his pass to the Christian Brother and was allowed to enter. It was exactly nine twenty-eight. The officials were standing around talking to one another. The room had a high ceiling, with ornate marble molding. The floor was also of marble, with a large Persian rug in the center. A chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling

A long table ran along the front of the room. It was covered with a thick maroon velvet cloth. A large bishop’s chair stood prominently at the center of the table. Legal-sized writing pads and some pencils were neatly arranged in front of each place.

When Joshua entered no one made any effort to welcome him. A few men turned and looked in his direction and then continued their conversations. Two bishop’s wearing red-trimmed black cassocks looked his way, stared at the odd sight, and continued talking. Joshua felt uncomfortable.

Exactly at nine-thirty a tall, aging cardinal in a black cassock entered the room. He was a courtly looking man with a full head of white hair, which made him look much younger than his seventy-five or more years. When he entered everyone took his place, the cardinal taking the chair reserved for him at the center.

There was a bench in the center of the floor about ten feet in front of the table. One of the clerics gestured for Joshua to take his place there. The cardinal began by offering a prayer, asking guidance from the Holy Spirit about the serious work they were about to undertake. He prayed that they would conduct the proceedings with charity and justice and that truth would prevail. This prayer was directed in Jesus’ name. Everyone responded, “Amen.”

“Sir,” my name is Cardinal Riccardo. These are my colleagues. Their names are inscribed in front of their places. Would you kindly give us your full name and address?”

“My name is Joshua. Until recently I have been living in a little village in the United States. But I no longer live there. My present address is Via Sforza Pallavicini, Rome, Italy.”

“What is your last name?” the cardinal asked.
“Joshua is my only name,” he replied.

Realizing he was not going to get any further answer, the cardinal continued, “Joshua, we have before us extensive reports that you have been discussing theological matters with Catholic people belonging to certain parishes. Is this true?”

“I do not understand, Cardinal, what you mean by theology. I just work at my trade as a wood-carver. When customers come to visit me we talk. We talk about many things. We talk about people, about people’s problems, about God, and problems they face in trying to do God’s will. I am a simple man and talk very simply and honestly when people ask me what I believe.”

“When you talk about God, and the things of God, and the Church, that is theology. Do you talk about these things?” Cardinal Riccardo asked.

“When people are concerned and confused about their religion and ask me what I think, I tell them,” Joshua answered.
“What do you tell them?”

“I tell them that Jesus came to bring meaning into people’s lives and that his message should give them peace and joy. They should not be confused and fearful and filled with guilt because of Jesus’ message.”

“Is that all you tell them?” a middle-aged bishop asked.
“No. People ask me what I think of religion as it is practiced today and I tell them honestly.”
“What do you tell them?” the prelate continued.
“I tell them that religion is not something separated from life. It is their life; either well lived or badly lived. Jesus told people they are free and that they should enjoy their relationship with God and find joy and peace in their lives. But often Jesus’ message is taught as a set of lifeless dogmas and rigid laws demanding observance under frightening penalties. That destroys the beauty of Jesus’ message and frightens people away from God.

“You are referring to the Church when you tell people that?” one of the theologians asked.

“I am referring to those who teach Jesus’ message in that way. The Church teaches beautiful things, but it is all on paper. The love of God is not preached the way it should be preached, nor is the beauty of Jesus’ life preached to people, so they grow up without the comfort of knowing that God cares for them and accepts them as a loving father or mother accepts a well-intended but wayward child. The Church is supposed to be the living presence of Christ among God’s children, but often all the people see is the aloofness and arrogance of ill-tempered shepherds who have little feeling for the people when they are hurting or when they have fallen.”

“Are you saying all priest’s are that way?” a young, balding theologian asked.

“Of course not,” Joshua replied. There are some priests who give their whole hearts and souls to the genuine work of God but there are not too many. Far too many enjoy the prestige and honor of the priesthood and, like the Pharisees of old, enjoy places of honor in public and the power that comes with authority. They look upon people as subjects to be kept in place and told what to do. That is offensive, not only to people, but to God Himself. Even bishops enjoy acting like heads of state and have all but abandoned the local Christian communities, who are starving for direction and meaning to their lives as God’s people and often are ruled by fealingless and arrogant shepherds who hurt the flock and do irreparable damage to God’s people with complete immunity. That is because the Christian communities are not really important to the Church, which has become preoccupied with the business of its far-flung empire of redundant charities. It is the function of religious leaders to inspire charitable works but not to abandon the Christian communities and set up their own massive operation. And it is the chief work of bishops to give guidance and direction to local shepherds but they spend little time sharing the burdens and problems of the Christian communities.”

“To go a little deeper, Joshua,” a shrewd older priest said, “do you feel this is just a peculiarity of certain individuals or the way the church is structured?”

“I think it is probably both. Too many need power and authority to give meaning to their work. The spirit of authority seems quite deeply rooted in the Church and running institutions provides that feeling of authority.’

“Are you opposed to authority?” the same priest asked.

“No. Authority is necessary, but the proper understanding of authority is essential. Jesus’ concept of authority is a radical departure from authority, as the world understands it. Church leaders have been too eager to exercise authority, as the world understands it rather than authority as Jesus taught it.”

“You seem to know quiet a bit about what Jesus taught and what he didn’t teach,” a nervous young theologian said sarcastically. “Tell us what kind of authority Jesus is supposed to have taught.”

Jesus taught that his apostles and shepherds should be like lights in darkness, giving light and inspiration to the flock and treating the flock, not as beneath them, as subjects to be ruled, but as brothers and sisters who need compassionate understanding and at times, rare times, firm admonition when they endanger others. That is different from looking upon people as subjects to be ruled by regulation and decree as civil officials do their subjects. There is no room for that kind of authority in the Church. It demeans people and creates a caste system, which is totally foreign to the mind of Jesus. Jesus could see this tendency in the apostles. That was why he washed their feet the night before he died, to impress upon their minds the lesson that they should be humble and not lord it over the flock but be servants to the flock. Not too many like to be servants.”

Cardinal Riccardo was watching Joshua closely during all the interchange and saw the simple humility of the man and his total detachment from any spirit of argumentation. He did not appear to be in the slightest way opinionated but believed sincerely in what he said. But wasn’t that true of all radical reformers? Their appeal to people was the very same sincerity. But Joshua didn’t, for some reason, fit that mold. There was a genuine understanding and caring that separated Joshua from radicals and malcontents. The cardinal’s long years of experience taught him to see through people they were interrogating, but he felt the younger priests did not see what he saw in Joshua. To them he was just an intellectual opponent who had to be demolished or exposed as a fraud or a danger to Holy Mother Church. The old man did not like at all the turn the proceedings were taking. But there was little he could do, as everyone was free to express himself.

“The young, balding theologian asked the next question.

“Joshua, you mentioned before that the Church rules by legislation and decree. Can you give an example of what you mean by that statement?”

“Take the case of marriage. Jesus never said that Christians had to marry by an apostle or a priest. Yet you legislate that if a Catholic does not marry before a priest, or marries before another without permission, the marriage is invalid and the couple live in sin. That is arrogant and denies people the freedom to make their own choice. Many people may have good reason for not wanting to marry before a priest. They may not be sure of their faith or their faith may not be mature. Or they may be conscious of the fact that they are not good Christians and a religious wedding would be hypocrisy. How can you say that God does not accept their marriage or that they live in sin? It may be a beautiful gesture for a couple who are filled with faith and the love of God to make a commitment of their lives to each other in the presence of the Christian community and before a priest, but to force it is neither healthy nor inspiring, and when the lives of the couple are scandalous it is a mockery. Religion is beautiful only when it is free and flows from the heart. That is why you should guide and inspire but not legislate behavior. And to threaten God’s displeasure when people do not follow your rules is being a moral bully and does no service to God. You are shepherds and guides, but not ultimate judges of human behavior. That belongs only to God.”

Everyone was shocked by what they heard. Even the cardinal winced but listened intently, realizing that he was not far from right. There really was no reason why the Church had to make such rigid legislation about marriage, and it does cause anguish in many lives. However, he was on very dangerous ground, and this would do him damage.

“Are there other examples?” the same priest asked.

“Take the case of a married couple who are destroying each other. In the past you said they could not divorce. But now you say you will grant them an annulment so they may marry again. And you base your decision on the grounds that there was no real marriage and the relationship was destructive. And in the process you examine the intimate details of their sexual life and call in witnesses to discuss what they know of the couple’s relationship. Yet you admit you do not give the annulment but merely decide there was no meaningful relationship to work with. Don’t you think the couple already know that? And what is the benefit of priests monitoring the intimate details of people’s lives? That’s what the Pharisees did to maintain control over people and make them answerable to them for their behavior.

“And if a couple do not appear before you and divorce and marry again, you say they commit adultery if they know in their hearts their previous marriage was unhealthy and destroying them? Is it merely because you were not allowed to make the observation that their marriage was not workable? And how can you hope to maintain control over so many millions of relationships, and commit so many thousands of people to this work of so doubtful value, where there are countless millions of souls needing the gospel preached to them and countless millions of Christians drifting away from God because of neglect? Is it not better to leave the judgment of the intimate details of peoples lives to God and go about the work of bringing the message of Jesus to the millions who need to hear him?

The logic was devastating. The panel had become very thoughtful while Joshua spoke, realizing there was much truth in what he was saying, and with no trace of arrogance or cynicism. His whole manner reflected a deep concern for the Church and for the work of the Church, which prompted the cardinal to ask the next question.

“Joshua, what is your idea of the Church?”
“The Church is the handmaiden of Jesus. It is his chosen partner in bringing God’s love and his concern into the lives of people. It is his living presence throughout history. And it is because of this that it must take great pains to show the gentleness and the solicitude of Jesus for those who are hurting and not emphasize its legal and judgmental power, which serves only too frequently to frighten people and drive the sheep away from God.”

“One of the younger men questioned Joshua bluntly. “If you have such a high idea of the Church, why are you so critical?”

“Because I care,” Joshua said wearily.

“… The questioning went on into the afternoon, then, when everyone was satisfied with the information they had accumulated, the cardinal brought the proceedings to a close.

“… After lunch Cardinal Riccardo requested an audience with the Holy Father. It was very important. He was told he could see him at four-thirty in his library.”

“… The Holy Father was congenial and listened patiently. “Holy Father,” the cardinal began, I am most distressed over what happened in the proceedings today. They were different from anything I have ever experienced. This man Joshua, as he calls himself, appeared to be a simple, uneducated man, but when we questioned him he showed a profound understanding of the things of God and an insight which, I am convinced, was inspired. I realize the report will show him to be critical of the way we run the Church, but I can see in practically every point he makes there is great wisdom, and perhaps we should listen to him. I also have the feeling the panel will decide against him, and I have a premonition that if we do it will be remembered in history as a dark hour for the Church.”

The Holy Father watched the cardinal as he spoke. He had been around for a long time and had done his work well, but his age was showing. He had always been a compassionate man, but you can’t run an institution like the Church on compassion. There had to be order and discipline. When the cardinal finished, the Holy Father told him he would read the report carefully before making a determination.

“… Cardinal Riccardo had felt he could talk to the pope man-to-man, but the pope’s legal conditioning was an immovable obstacle. The cardinal asked if the Holy Father would at least meet with Joshua and talk to him himself. The pope finally consented and thanked the cardinal for his concern. The cardinal returned the thanks and withdrew.”

Well that’s the end of today’s sermon, folks. As usual, I welcome your thoughts as to whether or not it was helpful. However, there’s one thing I think everyone will agree on and it’s that this fiasco has caused “A Clash Of Priorities.”

Lord willing, next week….

“JOSHUA” ©1983, 1987, by Joseph F. Girzone, and published by Touchstone, Rockefeller Center, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.