Jealous of Christopher West? Then Do it Better

I am reposting this blog entry because the way West has been treated by "Catholic" bloggers is insane. I mean that in all Christian Charity. If you have not read Christopher West's work, if you have not attended a seminar, if you have not talked to him, if you do not know what the man is about, I have no idea why you malign the man for evangelizing the Faith that you share. I highly suggest you read Mark 9:40 and get over it.

Last week on Nightline Christopher West was featured, along with the Theology of the Body, the revolutionary apologetics document on Humanae Vitae. I was honestly skeptical regarding the show as I thought that they were not going to give the topic the treatment that it deserved. The potential was too great for them to make it into a cultural joke.

I was wrong. I know that there are more than a few people who are "high minded theologians" who critique Christopher West on his approach and feel that he does not do Catholic Theology justice. I think they need to realize a few things, if they will listen, or even bother to read this.

There is a problem with our society in that we have completely lost the idea of "sexuality", "sex", "gender", "love", and "marriage". This can be traced to a number of things, but I choose to trace it to the date when Protestant denominations began to accept contraception as a viable means of spacing children within marriage.

Within time, this utilitarian attitude spread and it takes very little to see the complete snowball effect that has taken place in our society and gotten us to the point where we are actually performing eugenics on ourselves. Other sociologists and authors have taken up this cause so I feel no real need to get into it here, it is just safe to say that our society is broken in a number of ways.

In some areas of the country 70% of marriages end in divorce.

Child pornography is increasing in use and acceptance as the "age of consent" is lowered.

Children are increasingly seen as something to be avoided entirely.

Adultery is considered acceptable and almost expected in some circles.

Then number of sexually transmitted infections is nearing 40. This is over ten times the number that existed even 75 years ago.

The amount of money spent on pornography dwarfs sports, movies, and television.

Suicide rates in our country are through the roof.

In short, we have lost the meaning of, and the ability to really find satisfaction in love. Try as we might, we cannot reverse this trend and it may be two or three generations before the complete impact is felt and real action is taken.

Enter Christopher West.

While most theologians wax poetical about the needs of the world and high minded theology and how many people have lost the true meaning of their anthropology, West talks about Hugh Hefner, U2, and the orgasm.

In short, West brings the high theology to the level of the every day.

I don't see anything wrong with that. In fact, I admire it. I admire it because I am not a high minded theologian. I can read the documents of the popes and I can read the writings of theologians, but I could never generate anything like that. I don't have the mind for it. I love teaching and speaking to audiences because I feel that I am able to put things in a way that they understand. I certainly can't do it in the way that West does.

See, most academics I come across are great people, with great ideas, with lofty goals and a love of the truth. They also suffer from having so much in their heads, they don't realize how little they have in common with the regular person who clocks in and out of life every day wondering if there is something bigger than it all. They don't understand why the regular guy doesn't get passionate about Lumen Gentium or the promise of Eschatological Man. Or even why they don't understand the terms.

Thank God for West. Thank God for every single person who decided to take these incredibly intelligent people and use what they have, the gifts that God has given them to bring that to ordinary people. To bridge the gap. To be a bridge builder. As if to open the door and say, "Look, there is so much in this room! I know that you may not understand a lot of it and how to use it, but if you just go in and start to look around, you will never leave!"

If we simply choose sainthood and to surrender ourselves to the will of God, we may actually become one of those high-minds. If we lose sight of the fact that we are always called to serve the poorest of the poor, the "sick" that Christ speaks of, the prostitute and the sinner, and that there are many parts to the Body of Christ, just as there are many gifts, and that each of those parts has a purpose, then we lose sight of our desperate need for unity with all of the Body.

At least if you are going to criticize Christopher West, admit that you are jealous he is getting a bigger audience than you. Admit that you are upset that you were not featured on national television. At least be honest about your own arrogance to somehow "know better than everyone else."

Then after you admit that... do better. Reach more people. Love more people. Show Christ's love to more people.

I would bet that if you did that, Christopher West would be one of the first people to congratulate you, to tell you "good job." To pray for you. To support you because the culture is going to attack us enough. We don't need attacks from the same team.

So thanks, Christopher West. Thanks for bringing the truth to people in a way that they can understand. Thanks for "lighting the fuse on the time bomb" as you have expressed is your deepest desire.

Know that you are in my prayers.

Today, reach out to those in your life that need to hear the truth. Pray that the Holy Spirit gives you the words and that God puts you in the situation. Then bring it to them on their level.

For an objective treatment of this interview, look to Chris Faddis.