mother Teresa

I'm sure more than one person of faith has questioned that faith at one time or another. Heck, even Jesus asked why God had forsaken him while he was on the cross. There's a reason they call it faith.

 

"exploiting" = your word. I'd rather there be religion than the Nazi's or the KKK, they aren't real helpful. You don't have to believe in God to use the benefits, just don't say anything and go a few rounds on the rosary every once in a while.

 

From what little I've read of it this past week, it sounds like she wrestled with an absence of sensing the presence of God and communication from God. I've not read anything where she said she stopped believing in God, but I've only glanced at a couple of articles, though.

She's been a huge theological and praxis model for me. I know when I saw her in Charlotte (1995 or 1996?) it was a spiritual experience for me. When she walked out onto the stage, the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I felt a strong inward sense that this was someone close to the heart of God. That's potentially ironic given that she had been wrestling with an unfulfilled sense of God close to her for what, 40 years at that time?

It doesn't change much for me. I believe the message Christ brought was about restoring humanity to a way of living the Creator God had meant for us all along. That is, living in giving relationship towards God and others, rather than in taking from God and others (or relating to God and others primarily on the basis of our own benefit). There's a deep sense of meaning, peace, and rightness in lovingly giving to others, or in Mother Teresa's vocabulary, treating them as you would treat Christ himself.

At the same time, I know the exasperation of serving the poor too. There is always more need than you have the ability to meet. Yesterday, for example, I was in a meeting of area social workers (who work with the homeless and poor) and we were bemoaning the huge number of calls and long waiting lists we have right now - demands for services that we normally only see in mid-winter. There are plenty of other frustrations, too, some that come from the people you are trying to help, particularly with some of the mentally ill (heh, try helping out someone with borderline personality disorder without getting sucked in). Well, I'm rambling about myself, now, enough of that.

I've seen the imprint such work has on others. I've watched people working off court-ordered community service hours frequently turn into volunteers after they completed their community service hours, because they got a taste of something bigger than themselves, they got a taste of something lasting. They got a taste of what Jesus meant when he said those who will save their life will lose it, while those who give it away will gain it. They got a taste of the Bread of Life, from which we should eat and no longer hunger. I'm sure some of you all have seen this too, when people you know have gone on mission trips and come back impressed by the experience of giving. Ironically they often talk of receiving more than they gave, through their acts of giving.

Am I suprised about Mother Teresa's journals? Of course. Does it change anything for me? No, I've seen, experienced, and tasted so much in my own spiritual journey for her desert experience and doubt to cause me doubt.

 

She died a week after Princess Diana was killed in a car wreck. At that time Princess Di was still getting front page coverage, while Mother Teresa got a page 6 mention. Even now there are 5 times more news coverage of Princess Di's anniversary than Mother Teresa. Most of Mother Teresa's articles are about her doubts about God.

 

so somehow she's a better person for supposedly doing great things in the Church but having doubts, than if she did these things without any doubt? Or is this just a way to backhandedly slap people who believe?
To me, all good Christians should have healthy doubt and truly dive into understanding their own beliefs. Don't see how this is any different.

 

anyone read this book?

The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
by Christopher Hitchens

i think hitchens is an avowed atheist ... so there's probably some bias here.

 

Ya think? With the title Missionary Position? No freaking way!