I remember as a teenager listening to some adults complaining that things were better “in the old days”. These were days I had absolutely no experience of. The more they talked like that, the more I thought they were just old fashioned. Despite all the problems in the world, it did not seem too much of a bad place to me.

At the same time, I remember that I had agonizing dilemmas in my mind. I could not make up my mind regarding the morality of certain social issues that people talked about. Was war ever permissible? How about divorce, contraception? How about abortion? I remember that I would listen with attention to people debating one side of the issue with good arguments. Then I would listen to the opposite side and I would think they had very good arguments as well. I could not make up my mind!!! I could not stand that uncertainty.

Eventually I joined the seminary. The more I learned about our faith and the foundations of Christian philosophy, the more I founded the answers I was looking for. All of a sudden, it was as if scales had fallen from my eyes. I had realized that from the point of view of morals, our society had indeed lost much of the moral traditions that our civilization had been built on. It was then that I became counter-cultural.

Being counter-cultural is just but one of the aspects of being a Christian today. The tradition of the Church enumerates three classical enemies of the soul: the world, the devil and the flesh. The first one of these, the world, has to do with the anti-Christian environment that surrounds us. Jesus said:

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” John 2:15-16

This is realism. As human beings, we are highly influenced by the environment that surrounds us. Particularly as children we are highly susceptible to the environment in which we grow up. If that environment is positive, we will thrive. If it is negative, we will have to face many challenges as traumatic experiences can have lifetime repercussions. In the biblical sense taken above, the world has to do with the negative environment around us. We will never become completely immune to it.

One of the consequences of this realization is the importance of seeking the best environment both for our children and also for ourselves. The selection of the inner circle of friends is going to be important. According to one of the best Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, Jacques Maritain, the choice of friends at the early age of 7 or 8 is the first fundamental choice that a human being makes. The consequences of this choice will have long lasting effects. It probably already is a sign of where our heart is leaning.

As we grow older, the option for the environment that we create for ourselves is going to continue being a very important moral choice. That is why it is so important, in the secularized world in which we live, to join a Church group or surround ourselves with people who seek spiritual growth so that we can indeed thrive.

I think of the Church as a large tree with some beautiful, green branches and other dead ones. If we find ourselves in a group or a parish that has to life, we are to move to one that can sustain us.

Another important consequence has to do with the courage to act in a counter-cultural way. It is very easy to go with the flow and to avoid being targeted as different. Nobody wants to be politically incorrect. So we will silence our convictions so as not to be discriminated. The Christian has to realize that if we are going to be faithful to Christ, sooner or later, we are going to face the same fate that he suffered. We are going to be cornered to declare an alliance: either the world or Christ. The answer will determine whether we end up martyrs or just one of the crowd, betraying our fidelity to Christ.

Being Christian means accepting the possibility of martyrdom. What I mean is not only the possibility of death. Martyrdom could take different shades and colors: we could be falsely accused, imprisoned, fired, bullied, sued, harassed, etc. When we stand up for the truth we could even find ourselves suffering from our own brethren. Yes, God allows even that type of martyrdom, one of the most difficult to bear: to suffer a false accusation from our own brethren. And yet, for him who has the outlook of faith, this is one of the greatest privileges we could receive: being united to Christ on the cross, being crucified by the religious authority of your own people.

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.” John 17:14ss

Jesus tells his disciples that they do not belong to the world and yet they are sent into the world. The Christian is to be counter-cultural because he does not fit in with the values of the dominant culture. However, the Christian avoids a fortress mentality. We are being sent to engage the world and be salt of the earth and light of the world. This is what He did. So must we.

In our next weekly insight we will discuss the second enemy of our soul, the devil.

Questions for pondering:

1. Have you ever faced risks in your job or among your circle of friends because of your convictions?
2. Have you silenced your convictions so as to be able to fit in?
3. What would martyrdom mean for you at this stage in your life? Would you be ready for it?

Fr Lino Otero, LC:  Originally from Nicaragua, my family moved to Miami, Florida when I was a teenager. Soon afterwards I experienced the call to serve God without reservations. Since then, I have had experience in hospital ministry, working as a middle school teacher, leading a parish school, organizing soccer tournaments for kids, starting a radio station, training priests in leadership formation, organizing a parish community from maintenance to mission, and much more. I love spiritual direction and preaching. Years of philosophy, psychology and theological training have enriched my personal life and have shaped my message of hope. For more go to linootero.me