IT'S ALL LOGICAL

I think I am a logical person, perhaps too logical, too much left-brained. Perhaps I don't allow my emotions to get in the way enough. Perhaps. Perhaps that goes back to my days in college studying philosophy, studying logic and marveling how, when it all makes sense, it's the sensible and right thing to do. Perhaps. In logic, the stronger the argument, the better the case. In logic there is a major premise and a minor premise and logical arguments (read "proofs) for both premises. And then the conclusion, the "therefore...." It all makes sense.

The other day someone sent along the following logical statement. "Marriage is an institution. Marriage is based on love. Love is blind. Marriage is an institution for the blind." It all makes sense. The first three statements are all true. Thus the "therefore" should also be true: Therefore marriage is an institution for the blind. And that is true, humor and all notwithstanding.

I suspect most of us have no problems with the first two statements: marriage is an institution and it is based on love. It's the love-being-blind part that we may have a problem with. But in many ways, true, unconditional love is blind. It is blind to the failings and shortcomings, the humanness of the beloved. If love is conditional, if married love is conditional, there will be problems, sometimes problems so big that the marriage ends.

Going one step beyond, thinking beyond marriage, thinking about the church, is it not correct (logical) to say the same thing about the church, about the gathered Christian community to which we belong? Can we not substitute the word "church" for the word "marriage" and reach the same logical conclusion: "the church is an institution for the blind"?

As a gathered Christian community should we not have the same unconditional love for one another that we have for our spouse, our children, our personal family? Yes, we can say that we have no choice as Christians to unconditionally love our spouse, our children, our family; but the church is different. We don't have to belong to a church, this church. We do so because we choose to do so.

True. But once we do, then does not unconditional love go with the territory, with the choice? Yes, it is true that it is difficult enough sometimes to unconditionally love members of our own family, flesh and blood. Is it not asking too much to extend that family to a church? Is that not beyond our capabilities, logic or no logic?

It is, if we think we have to do it all by ourselves with only sheer will power. Sometimes it takes the grace of God to love my kids unconditionally. Sometimes it takes an even more abundant grace of God to unconditionally love those with whom I worship. But that grace is always offered, is it not? We don't unconditionally love because we can't. We don't because we don't want to. It is not God's problem: that God doesn't give us enough grace. It is ours: we refuse it, for whatever we think is a logical reason.