Does the Church Have Answers?

One of my required readings in seminary by way of Systematic Theology was a book titled, “On Being A Christian” by Hans Kung, a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, professor and author. The text is only 720 pages long. At the very beginning, Kung explains that his book is written for all those, for any reason at all, who honestly and sincerely want to know what Christianity, what being a Christian, really means. The book I purchased in seminary has been laid to rest. Over the years it slowly came apart at the seams. The late George Morgan, Elder Emeritus, presented a new one in April 2004. After sixteen years of turning pages, it, too, is tattered and well-worn with pages falling out. It remains a gem of a book.

Hans Kung had been a participant in the Second Vatican Council and played a prominent role in forming some of the reforms and changes recommended for the church. A professor at the University of Tubingen, Germany, now retired, Kung has written a wide number of books and lectured to thousands of people around the globe. One book, however, got him into a little trouble when he called into question the infallibility of the pope and bishops. The Vatican responded by stripping Kung of his credentials that recognized him as a Catholic theologian. I guess you could say the powers that be were merciful. At least they allowed him to remain a priest. He was not defrocked.

In any case, Bellarmine University, a private Catholic University in Louisville, extended an invitation for Kung to offer a lecture, which he accepted. Immediately prior to the event, Rome was informed about the pending visit. The order was given to the university to withdraw the invitation. Wanting to remain in the good graces of the Vatican, they did exactly that. When the administration of Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary heard about the invitation being withdrawn, the decision was made to invite the well-known theologian to deliver his lecture on our campus. Hans Kung accepted.

On the afternoon of December 1, 1981, Hans Kung stepped into the pulpit of the Seminary Chapel where he spoke for about an hour about some of the significant issues facing the church. (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox) The scene was electric. Kung was not a charismatic speaker, but what he said was powerful. Every city code for safety was probably violated. The pews were packed. The lecture was available throughout the campus by way of closed circuit television. When I found a spot in a pew and the lecture was about to start, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Adults were actually sitting on the chancel floor all the way around the pulpit!

I respect the theological perspective of Kung, “At some point in our lives, regarding the person of Jesus Christ, we are faced with a clear and inescapable decision which in fact can only be a decision of faith: a decision to trust his message, to commit oneself to Jesus’s cause, to follow Jesus’ way. If someone commits himself to Jesus as the standard, if he lets himself be determined by the person of Jesus Christ as the basic model for a view of life and a practice of life, this means in fact the transformation of the whole person. For Jesus Christ is not only an external goal, a vague dimension, a universal rule of conduct, a timeless ideal. He determines and influences a person’s life and conduct, not only externally, but from within. Following Christ means not only information, but a change of heart and therefore the change of the whole person.

In a word, Jesus Christ is the basic model for a new way of life, a new life-style, a new meaning to life. (pages 551-553) The man I saw and heard speak from a pulpit on December 1, 1981 about what it means to be a Christian challenged me to think more deeply about my place in the world and who I am as a follower of Christ. The words of Hans Kung also challenged me to think about the role and responsibility of the church in today’s world. People have questions. Does the church have answers?

I have entertained the question, “How does a loving and compassionate God allow so many people to suffer and die from the coronavirus? Why did he let this happen?” This is my answer. We often try to hold God responsible for problems he did not create. Regarding the coronavirus, I believe those responsible are the people who allow public access to an unregulated and unsupervised wet market in the street, the person who sipped a tainted, infected bowl of bat soup, and possibly, a lab that did not practice appropriate safeguards with a dangerous virus, all of which have resulted in a horrific pandemic.

Our faith tells us that God is at work in ways that we may not readily see to bring about a deeper understanding of the ailments that plague the human condition and what to do about them (if only we will pay attention.) Jesus is also present in the here and now inspiring us to show acts of compassion and kindness for the suffering. Christians are called to be responsible agents doing our best with the gifts we have been given to fight and curtail the further spread of COVID-19. May the Lord bless and keep you, your family, loved ones and friends, as we pray together for a better day to come. In Christ. +

—
Steve Keeler, Pastor
Sea Island Presbyterian Church