Revelation versus Regulation
Which is more important? Revelation or regulation?
The homily of a cleric can be rated as 'up', 'down' or' mixed'.
A homily is rated 'up' when a homilist looks up at God not 'down' at us. An "up" homilist shares with us what he has discovered about God after having entered and explored the inner workings of the mind of God. He is a witness, not a king. Only an explorer of the mind of God can say something that illuminates the darkness of our understanding of God. The focus of an 'up' cleric is revelation not regulation.
Furthermore, it is not enough to assert conclusions about God. It is necessary to reveal the foundation on which the conclusions rest. A conclusion divorced from its foundation is worthless. The proposition that God is love, while true, is a crippled proposition because the legs that support its truth are not articulated. Without legs, a crippled proposition is unpersausive.
A homily is rated 'down' when a homilist looks down at us, not 'up' at God, and tells us how to behave. A homilist who delivers a 'down' homily tries to promote laws of behavior by stamping the endorsement of the Church or God or both onto it. The focus of a 'down' cleric is regulation not revelation.
Most homilies are 'down' homilies. Most clerics aspire to be kings who rule us not witnesses who testify to their knowledge of God. Few homilies are 'up' homilies. It seems that, as a general rule, clerics prefer to talk about us rather than to talk about God. It is as if they do not know him.
The better homily, however, is the 'up' homily.
More revelation; less regulation. More witness; less king. More God; less Church. More religion; less politics; More Mary; less Martha. More pizzazz; less nitty-gritty. No change in doctrine; just a change in emphasis - a tweak, nothing more.
