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I think that we've got to remember that, almost by definition, there's no ideal response to sin. Respond too harshly and you destroy hope, provoke defiance,a and harden your own heart. Respond too softly and you become complicit.
What we mustn't do is attach a value to a second marriage which is in an objective sense unjust to a third party, either a rejected former partner or a child. Children are already often under pressure to pretend that they are playing happy stepfamilies, they don't need the Church adding to that by adding a blessing to the hated new liaison.
But there is a tidal wave of hurt, resentment, confusion, degradation, because people are not following Jesus' teaching on this subject. The Church has to respond to that sensitively, but not by seeing complexities in a sophisticated way when in fact the truth is obvious.
I think that we've got to remember that, almost by definition, there's no ideal response to sin. Respond too harshly and you destroy hope, provoke defiance,a and harden your own heart. Respond too softly and you become complicit.
ReplyDeleteWhat we mustn't do is attach a value to a second marriage which is in an objective sense unjust to a third party, either a rejected former partner or a child. Children are already often under pressure to pretend that they are playing happy stepfamilies, they don't need the Church adding to that by adding a blessing to the hated new liaison.
But there is a tidal wave of hurt, resentment, confusion, degradation, because people are not following Jesus' teaching on this subject. The Church has to respond to that sensitively, but not by seeing complexities in a sophisticated way when in fact the truth is obvious.