St.Paul gives us so many leads as to how we should act. But not all of
them are expressed. We can follow his example with profit: he wrote
that he was going to Ephesus because there was a great opportunity for
him there.
Here we learn that in spreading the Gospel, the Church needs
to be alert to what is happening in the world, and to use its
capabilities to adapt to circumstances. St. Paul's "opportunity" was the
biennial Festival of the goddess Diana which we are told increased the
population of Ephesus from 300,000 to 2,000,000. What an opportunity to
reach vast numbers of people - pilgrims who had to be housed in tents.
And who followed the trade of tent-maker? Why, none other than St.Paul -
the very man the pilgrims would need. He had more for them than they
imagined!
To-day there is a massive opportunity for the Church on the Internet.
The gathering of people on the Internet - especially the young - is in
the tens, perhaps hundreds of millions per day, every day. Yet some
Dioceses, for example have no website or a truly pathetic website.
Others are truly impressive. But as yet we have no Australian Bishop
with a Blog and very few Priests, whereas there are a number of Bishops
and even Cardinals worldwide with such Blogs, and numerous highly active
Priest Bloggers.
Now, some people including perhaps Priests and Bishops will say "Oh, I
can't be bothered with all that computer nonsense, my role is to
minister to real people."Some even pride themselves on their ignorance
of the whole area of technology. They are ignoring the great
opportunity. They would surely get chased out of their complacent
attitude by the ever vigorous St. Paul.
Everything we know of this dynamic apostle makes it clear he did not
have a "comfort zone". He went out to meet every opportunity - we,
institutional Church, Bishops, Clergy and Lay Faithful must not do less.
This item is adapted from "Serving With the Angels"in FOUNDATION October 2007.
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