The Church...

The Church is at home everywhere, and everyone should be able to feel himself at home in the Church. Thus the risen Christ, when he shows himself to his friends, takes on the countenance of all races and each hears him in his own tongue.

Henri de Lubac, Catholicism (via invisibleforeigner)

I love the Church. This evening I listened to one of the most powerful and wealthy men in Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato Francis Yeoh, speak about his experience of the Church. He is a deeply committed Christian who is clearly very deeply committed to the Church - as every Christian should be. Yet, he does not hold a romanticized picture of the Church.

His description of this blessed community was as follows: It is a little like the story of a group of porcupines who were caught in the coldest of winters. It was so cold that many other animals were dying. So they decided to huddle together for survival and warmth. However, whenever they came close they would wound each other (most often inadvertently and without malice or intent). Of course there were times when one of the animals would choose a position in contrast to the good of the rest - that would cause much more pain and hardship. Some of the porcupines found this unbearable and so they broke off from the rest. Sadly, without the warm and closeness of the others they were soon overtaken by the cold and lost.

As a result they soon learned that a few small wounds were a small price to pay for the collective blessing of life.

I have experienced the Church in this manner at times. Yet, it is the Body of Christ, a place of blessing and life. And so, even though I am sometimes misunderstood, sometimes hurt, I still draw near, for it is one of God's means of grace - a chosen instrument to help me find life and share life with others.

What is your experience of the Church? I'd love to hear!