The question of how we are saved and who gets to be part of the group has always been at the center of discussion for followers of Jesus. For most of our history, salvation was only through the church; in fact, this was reaffirmed in 2018 in a letter signed by Archbishop Luis Ladaria SJ, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on the Feb. 22 feast of the Chair of St. Peter. The letter is addressed to the world’s Catholic bishops as a response to what is seen as the rise of a new wave of Pelagianism and Gnosticism (look them up – they matter) and pointed to the sacraments – Catholic versions – as vehicles of salvation. Which means that anyone who is not Catholic, and therefore not allowed to receive Catholic rites and sacraments, is not included in salvation.
This way of thinking permeates many sects within Christianity and is the sole purpose of many of those denominations, which is why they so fervently evangelize the rest of us. They are truly concerned about our destination after this life, and as I said in my sermon this past Sunday, I have been told many times that I won’t make the cut. I’m glad they aren’t in charge of that decision. It reminds of a conversation I had years ago with two women who were Jehovah’s Witnesses and were desperately trying to convince me to get saved; I asked them why they, as women, were in that church, since Revelation 7 explicitly tells us that 144,000 men (12 Tribes of Israel times 12,000) who have not defiled themselves with women (so, gay dudes?) are the ones who are saved by the Lamb (Jesus). They didn’t seem to know that verse.
On the other hand, I reject Universalism, which believes that everyone makes the cut. For me, this makes faith of any kind irrelevant and Jesus unnecessary. What heaven and hell are, I have no idea. I don’t buy the idea of eternal torture either; that, thankfully, is also up to God. We are saved just by grace, but we are expected to do good works, even though we aren’t saved by those works. For me, salvation is a covenant between us and God, one which allows us to work out our faith with conviction and hope. It is a balance; we can’t say we are believers without living out those beliefs. The intricacies of that covenant relationship, however, are unclear to me. I just continue to love God and try to do my best to do God’s work in the world. That’s the best I am able to do.
Going to church won’t save anyone. Church, for me, is a vehicle by which we do God’s work together, since no follower of Jesus can be faithful in a vacuum. We are always better when we are together because nobody can do their best work alone. Only God can save us; the church is just a way to be God’s people, because we aren’t meant to be alone. If your church believes that I am going to hell because I am not a member, you are part of a false and arrogant church. God is in charge; we have other fish to fry.
Prayer – Holy God, once more we pray for understanding and humility. Guide our faith lives in ways that serve You, not us. Teach us to serve You and each other so the world is a better place. Amen.
Today’s art is the Yggdrasil Tree of Life stained glass art. In the Norse creation myth, the first man and woman—Ask and Embla—originated from trees. They sprouted from Yggdrasil’s acorns.