The last part of today’s reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, (cf 2 Cor 6:1-10) is an inspiring paradox of Christian life: “We are treated as deceivers and yet are truthful; as unrecognized and yet acknowledged; as dying and behold we live; as chastised and yet not put to death; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing all things.”
These words are not abstract images painted by the Apostle but an exact description of his missionary experience. In trying to deepen this insight, I came across Mark Grima’s Thesis “A Pauline Missionary Spirituality." The author, a Paulist Missionary, expounds on St. Paul’s relevance for today, especially in the struggle to navigate between the interior tensions of the faith and the external tensions in the praxis of Christian living.
Let me just quote some lines from this precious work: “Paul’s awareness of the “already but not yet” was enough to keep him busy trying to make sense, creatively, out of this inherent tension in the Christian faith. He did not dispose of it by ignoring the hope to come, or conversely by devaluing the present reality, but was ready to embrace this tension, and live creatively with it. Moving into his ministry, we realize that this tension is transposed into the daily living of the faithful, and his letters are full of examples how Paul is ready to sail through these rough waters of human realities, acknowledging the fact that life situations can be complex, yet through hope and communal effort Christians can make some right steps toward what he hoped to be “the new creation.” Most striking is how Paul took fully into account the reality both of living in a hostile world and of living between two worlds. Not least of note were Paul’s repeated attempts to hold together different opinions and factions, conscious that the only real solution laid in a mutual faith. This process of making sense out of the inner and the pastoral tensions was done with an unfaltering spirit of compassion and understanding.”
If you want to read more of Grima's study, please click here.
These words are not abstract images painted by the Apostle but an exact description of his missionary experience. In trying to deepen this insight, I came across Mark Grima’s Thesis “A Pauline Missionary Spirituality." The author, a Paulist Missionary, expounds on St. Paul’s relevance for today, especially in the struggle to navigate between the interior tensions of the faith and the external tensions in the praxis of Christian living.
Let me just quote some lines from this precious work: “Paul’s awareness of the “already but not yet” was enough to keep him busy trying to make sense, creatively, out of this inherent tension in the Christian faith. He did not dispose of it by ignoring the hope to come, or conversely by devaluing the present reality, but was ready to embrace this tension, and live creatively with it. Moving into his ministry, we realize that this tension is transposed into the daily living of the faithful, and his letters are full of examples how Paul is ready to sail through these rough waters of human realities, acknowledging the fact that life situations can be complex, yet through hope and communal effort Christians can make some right steps toward what he hoped to be “the new creation.” Most striking is how Paul took fully into account the reality both of living in a hostile world and of living between two worlds. Not least of note were Paul’s repeated attempts to hold together different opinions and factions, conscious that the only real solution laid in a mutual faith. This process of making sense out of the inner and the pastoral tensions was done with an unfaltering spirit of compassion and understanding.”
If you want to read more of Grima's study, please click here.
