To the Editor:
Father Ron Rolheiser’s column “Sensitivity to community” is spot on. I have found that words spoken can never be taken back and at times it’s best to keep them to myself. The internal struggle of a believer should be the great commission to go and make disciples of all nations. So how can we do that if we do not share the good news of the Gospel?
As noted by Fr. Rolheiser, “Thus the challenge coming to me from the bishop was in effect, to be more careful with my audience so as to distinguish theology classrooms and academic periodicals from catechetical situations and church newspapers.”
The Gospels note that Jesus was compassionate to the sinner but his disdain for the religious class was very evident. In Matthew 15: 8-9 he rebuked the Pharisees and teacher of the law quoting Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.” It’s our responsibility to speak truth but we need to be careful how we speak it.
Kenneth Sobaski
Ollie, Iowa
