Spiritual Starvation

Details: 20 July 2012

Those who have traveled lately through Nebraska, or anywhere in the Midwest, surely were able to detect noticeable variations in the health of the crops in the fields. With an early spring that allowed for early planting with generous rains that followed, many of us saw tasseled corn in June for the first time ever. But even as we marvel at the flourishing of many of our crops, we see also so many fields that are starved for rain. The roots of the plants cannot reach deep enough to find the moisture they need to sustain life. Indeed, some crops already have been declared "a total loss" with so much of the growing season yet before us.

Jesus often used rural images like this one to teach about spiritual realities. Relatively little insight is required to see a phenomenon present in the spiritual realm in our culture that is analogous to what we observe quite easily in the agricultural realm in our fields. Christianity has flourished in our land over the past couple of centuries. In fact, one can easily make the argument that our country’s Constitution was itself formulated upon Christian principles, with the assumption that Christianity would not only continue to be the predominant religion of the land, but also would be the guiding force for the establishment of laws and the development of culture in this place where religious freedom is allegedly a foundational right for all who choose to live here in the "land of the free."

Unfortunately, safeguards like the "blue laws" that once protected the Lord’s Day from becoming "just another work day" or "just another shopping day" have all but disappeared. In fact, if laws on the books seem to be rooted in the Ten Commandments or any other aspect of Judeo-Christian tradition, they are forthrightly challenged as to their legitimacy in our pluralistic society. Such shifts in our society have made it harder to make religious practice a normal part of everyday life. But we Christians simply cannot allow this trend to continue unchecked lest we become fearful of living as the evangelizing disciples that Jesus wants us—nay, needs us—to be.

The laissez-faire attitude of many Americans regrettably has led to a very casual approach to almost everything we do, including religious practice. When Christians are not even committed enough to attend church services on a regular basis as a minimal fulfillment of God’s command to keep the Lord’s Day holy, spiritual dehydration progresses rapidly.

Many of the plants in the fields are green and look quite good on the outside, but having been without water for so long, they may actually be on the brink of death. So also are people who have developed a cavalier attitude toward committed church attendance and prayer, not to mention following conscientiously the other statutes of God and His Church. Just as our crops still have to weather some hot days ahead—and perhaps even some rough storms—so also we Christians must combat a culture that is increasingly hostile to our beliefs, values and practices.

So, drink up! Our Catholic Church provides so very many wonderful spiritual resources. We need only to avail ourselves of them. If we are going to be able to "brave the heat", then we must first be active in satiating our spiritual thirst. Spiritual starvation must never be an option!