Friday of the Second Week of Easter
You cannot fight against God
But a Pharisee in the Sanhedrin named Gamaliel, …respected by all the people, stood up, ordered the men to be put outside for a short time, and said to them, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you are about to do to these men. Some time ago, Theudas appeared … and about four hundred men joined him, but he was killed, and all those who were loyal to him were disbanded … After him came Judas the Galilean … but he too perished and all who were loyal to him were scattered. So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” … Acts 5,34-39
In our Western civilization, where cultural and religious pluralism is allowed, no one is sued to court to defend themselves for doing his or her duty of spreading his or her own faith, but in the countries where the political power coincides with the religious one these things still happen. Nevertheless, the church still follows Gamaliel’s discernment up to these days: the work of men is due to destruction, God’s one is eternal, and it is not clever to fight it, because those who fight it are always defeated in the end. So, every time a new movement is born or the believers rush somewhere because it is said that there the Virgin Mary appeared, the Church neither encourages nor is hostile: it just stands and listen with much attention. Then, when with the passing time it considers it possible that a reality can truly be God’s work, it begins to delve into it for a better understanding, in order to verify its orthodoxy, to guide its orthopraxy and put its fruits to the service of all the church. It is a very wise way to discern, which we have also followed as parents every time one of our children has been oriented towards certain life choices, both in the sentimental, professional or vocational field. At a certain point, when we felt that there were the conditions for some validity, we have intervened to understand, to evaluate the choices made, to help and cooperate. There is no other way to exercise authority. By our children’s part, then, it is a show of common sense to accept a careful supervision by the parents, who may be wrong, but are the only ones to be driven only by the love for them. All the others, friends, colleagues, employers and religious orders, however well intentioned they may be, can not help being influenced by partisan interests. However, Gamaliel’s discernment is perfect: God’s plans are indestructible, the ones of mankind short-lived, if not often even ephemeral.