I Choose...

As more information about sex abuse within the Church appear in the news, I find myself getting angry. I am angry at the priests who were capable of such horrible acts against children. I am angry at those in authority who knew about it and did nothing to stop it. I am angry that we live in a world where stories like this are the norm in the news, rather than the exception. Why do I choose to continue to be a part of a Church in which this kind of thing happens?

Mike Hayes, blogger extraordinaire at googlinggod.com, had a great post that really got me thinking today. Read the whole thing here, but here's an excerpt that hit home for me:

I refuse to let people hijack my faith, scapegoat others, or simply stop serving the needs of the poor and the spiritual needs of parishioners.

We are the church…together. And that means that things are often messy. I know I’ve made a bunch of mistakes that I wouldn’t want the Ny times to know about too. So I do my part and hope it’s enough.

I stay because I am part of a family. And at the Thanksgiving meal that happens each week that we call Eucharist, we are sure to find disagreement, horror stories and dysfunction. It’s who we are, warts and all.

We are part of a Church that has Christ at its head but human beings like you and me as its body. Like Mike, I choose to stay Catholic. I choose to continue to live out my faith in the best way I know how. I choose to look for and work for solutions and ways to make our Church a welcoming and loving community. I choose not to give in to the negative messages about the Church that I love and believe in, but I choose not to sweep the problems under the rug.

I find the lyrics to the song "I Will Choose Christ" running through my head:
I will choose Christ,
I will choose love,
I choose to serve.
I give my heart, I give my life,
I give my all to you.

What will happen if we all strive to choose Christ first and foremost in our lives?

~Lauren G