Friday of the
Sixth Week of Easter
(Acts 18:9-18; John 16:20-23)
Karl Barth, one of the twentieth century’s greatest
theologians, thought that religion could be the enemy of faith. Seeing how the needs of religious institutions
often take priority over trust in God, Barth chastised the former in promotion
of a God who demands human faithfulness.
Barth wrote cogently over the work of the apostle Paul, who is encountered
in today’s first reading as taking a stand quite in line with Barth’s critique.
Paul’s experience of Jesus has led him to claim that only
faith in Christ can save one from sin and death. Trying to comply with the Jewish law as the
way to salvation - he preaches - avails nothing because it inevitably falls
short of its objective. For such a claim
the Jews of Corinth take Paul to the Roman administrator Gallio. The statesman wisely stays out of the
religious conflict and allows Paul to resume his mission.
We should not abandon our valid religious practices. Properly pursued, they will take us closer to
God. Nevertheless, we need to realize
that merely going through the motions of religious custom will get us nowhere. We must hang on the words of Christ by
imitating his ways and pleading his assistance.
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