In my previous blog post I argued, using three different examples, that one of the greatest problems facing modern society is an increasing abuse of power by unaccountable and unelected elites. In this post I want to show how this problem is directly linked to the abandonment of God and the wilful rejection of the fundamental principles of Christianity in the West.
It was Judeo-Christian anthropology, a belief in people as sacred children of God each possessing intrinsic worth through the possession of a soul, that taught us the need for every person to be shown both dignity and freedom. That is the advantage of healthy religion; it provides a higher authority than the State to protect your fundamental rights. If you doubt the power of religion to humble the state and hold elites to account allow me to share a story from the reign of the Roman Emperor, Theodosius.
Theodosius had a problem. A bawdy gladiator had been arrested for lewd behaviour. Gladiators back then were the equivalent of premiership footballers- let us think of him as the Wayne Rooney of his day. Like Rooney he had a large group of gormless fans in Thessalonica who, like all good football hooligans, rioted after his arrest, killing several Roman soldiers in the process. This put Theodosius in a bind because although he was Emperor he was also a recent convert to Christianity. He had to show strength but also mercy.
To placate the rioting critics- he put on a circus, a family day out to calm the mob. But the jollity never happened because, once the crowds gathered inside the arena, Theodosius’ army popped up from under the seats and 13000 men, women and children were slaughtered in a blood bath. The message was brutally delivered but also crystal clear ‘Don’t mess with Rome” Order was restored but, you can imagine, the fallout wasn’t a good optic for an emerging Christian faith.
Theodosius went to church the following Sunday but found his way barred. St. Ambrose stood at the door and refused to grant him entry. With tremendous courage Ambrose explained -the evil Theodosius had done meant he could not receive the sacraments until he had done public penance. Without repentance, emperor or not, he would not get in. Credit to Ambrose- that took guts- this man had slaughtered his last critics. It was unthinkable to challenge an Emperor. But Ambrose held firm and a miracle occurred. Theodosius, now humbled, obeyed. He publicly repented in sack cloth and ash and a vital point was made to the people of Rome; the State was beholden to God not the other way around.
Christian law made clear that all were now called to account from the lowest peasant to mightiest ruler. See how religion can benefit society by providing limitations to unbridled human power. It shouldn’t surprise us then that nations without faith quickly turn tyrannous- consider the lunacy of North Korea or increasing evaporation of freedoms within our own secularising culture. If you remove God from the State before long the State becomes god. And it is never a very nice god being run by fallible human beings with an obvious propensity for sin, greed and self indulgence.
Fortunately we do not (yet) live in the madness of North Korea. Un-fortunately neither do we live in a Christian culture anymore; heroes like Ambrose no longer speak truth to power or help shape society for Christ. The problem here is two fold. Firstly the world is no longer listening to the Church due to a delight in hubristic secular thinking. The second problem is that the Church itself has grown decadent and corrupt in high places and, due to myriad scandals and bad management, simply hasn’t earned the respect it ought to be shown. It makes for a perfect storm.
Can you imagine our bishops playing the role of courageous Ambrose today?! Hardly. Alas we live in a time when faith is largely being abandoned- we call this apostasy. Meaning we have the shadow of a once proud Christian Empire behind us. And, unless we can recall our culture back to its Christian roots, the very real threat of a new liberal tyranny before us. The reinvention of a modern paganism where life will no longer be held sacred and where nothing exists to hold power to account.
What is the answer? How can we save our church and culture? The answer is one life at a time. A life given to God and lived in accordance with the authentic teaching of the Church in past ages. Perhaps the next life offered could be yours? For ultimately it is only our own lives we can give and unless we begin to do so the requisite grace to transform the earth will be lacking. Pentecost is here- the time for praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When the first disciples did this tongues of flame fell on them and they went on to convert the earth. It can be done but it requires willing participants to become the next generation of Saints.
Saint Ambrose pray for us.
