The Need To Be Precise...
posted by Michael Lee
Thanks to Mike E. below, I am reminded of one of the purposes of this blog. We desire to help folks who teach or explain the faith to be more effective. We do this by emphasizing our interior life as the foundation of our life and ministry.
Over the past several days I have been reminded of the need to be precise when we are teaching the faith whether speaking or writing. We have to carefully guard against a “shotgun approach” to teaching (where it is good enough if it is close enough). There seem to several general principles that can help prevent these problems. I would like to explore and reflect on these principles over the next few days. These are far from exhaustive or Magisterial.
First, we must be formed ourselves. We can’t leave it to others to be formed, and we follow them. Therefore:
1. We have to know what we are talking about. We must be coming to an ever deeper knowledge and love of God and his Word. Knowledge of God is crucial. We must know him to love him. We must know him to teach others about him.
2. We must know more deeply than simply a vague understanding of what we teach. This must go deeper than just an assortment of facts to a real understanding. We can know that Jesus was one person with two natures but what does that mean? How can we understand?
3. We must not only ‘know’ doctrine etc., but we must think deeply about it to see the connections to other teachings, to its Scriptural foundations, and what follows from that particular doctrine. Our faith isn’t contained in discreet packets of information. It is contained in a Person. Therefore, we must make these connections so we understand the ramifications of a particular doctrine on the formulation and understanding of others.
4. We have to “stay within ourselves”. Many years ago, I was an avid golfer who was quite competitive, especially with myself. A principal that was continuously demonstrated to me was the harder you swung the shorter the drive was. My father used to tell me all the time to “swing-within-myself”. In other words, to press or push my swing made me miss rather than swinging in the manner that I could comfortably. We do this intellectually, also. We have to be careful that we understand the limitations of our knowledge so that we don’t overreach our knowledge and teach error. This is so easy to do out of the desire to help and the fear of not knowing. This particular principle is the one I worry about the most, personally.
5. We must ‘know about’ in the context of ‘knowing’. All of the knowledge and intellectual acumen in the world means nothing without love. As St. Paul emphatically states,
These things don’t happen overnight. This is a lifelong project to grow as faithful Catholics and catechists. The important thing is that we are growing in truth and love everyday.
Over the past several days I have been reminded of the need to be precise when we are teaching the faith whether speaking or writing. We have to carefully guard against a “shotgun approach” to teaching (where it is good enough if it is close enough). There seem to several general principles that can help prevent these problems. I would like to explore and reflect on these principles over the next few days. These are far from exhaustive or Magisterial.
First, we must be formed ourselves. We can’t leave it to others to be formed, and we follow them. Therefore:
1. We have to know what we are talking about. We must be coming to an ever deeper knowledge and love of God and his Word. Knowledge of God is crucial. We must know him to love him. We must know him to teach others about him.
2. We must know more deeply than simply a vague understanding of what we teach. This must go deeper than just an assortment of facts to a real understanding. We can know that Jesus was one person with two natures but what does that mean? How can we understand?
3. We must not only ‘know’ doctrine etc., but we must think deeply about it to see the connections to other teachings, to its Scriptural foundations, and what follows from that particular doctrine. Our faith isn’t contained in discreet packets of information. It is contained in a Person. Therefore, we must make these connections so we understand the ramifications of a particular doctrine on the formulation and understanding of others.
4. We have to “stay within ourselves”. Many years ago, I was an avid golfer who was quite competitive, especially with myself. A principal that was continuously demonstrated to me was the harder you swung the shorter the drive was. My father used to tell me all the time to “swing-within-myself”. In other words, to press or push my swing made me miss rather than swinging in the manner that I could comfortably. We do this intellectually, also. We have to be careful that we understand the limitations of our knowledge so that we don’t overreach our knowledge and teach error. This is so easy to do out of the desire to help and the fear of not knowing. This particular principle is the one I worry about the most, personally.
5. We must ‘know about’ in the context of ‘knowing’. All of the knowledge and intellectual acumen in the world means nothing without love. As St. Paul emphatically states,
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:2Our prayer life is crucial to our intellectual life. Period.
These things don’t happen overnight. This is a lifelong project to grow as faithful Catholics and catechists. The important thing is that we are growing in truth and love everyday.
posted by Michael Lee at 5/31/2006 11:23:00 AM
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