Something old something new

The journey through life involves encountering sometimes contradictory desires and motives and living in tension between them. The passage in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today from the Book of Acts presents a picture of a very harmonious Christian community. Friar Jude Winkler suggests that the Stoic thinking in Luke's worldview necessitated that a community that knows the Truth would have to show this by the order and harmony which the Truth brings. The tension between the "old" Stoic concept of the perfection wrought by Divine Presence and the "new" experience of a devoted community which nevertheless needed to deal with discord and selfishness is the real life situation of believers. Those who require that the Church and believers be Stoic perfection misunderstand the "Good News" which like the instruction of Jesus to Nicodemus, in the Gospel,  from John, that the One from Above would be "lifted-up" is the message that we all need healing from the bite of the earthly passions to which we fall victim. The message which Jesus implies should be known by the "teacher of Israel" is that God is Spirit and the Divine desire for Covenant and communion with humanity is ancient. Jesus is again offering a "New Covenant" which presents the deep love of the Father offering His Son to be the eternal Paschal Lamb.