When the Homily is about Immunology

Pair of Docks

A true paradox was revealed to me last night by none other than my personal favorite television network: TBN. (Well, surely it would be so if only they would put a version of Christian Survivor on the air!) Anyway, TBN is having some sort of anniversary special and the little bit that I saw had them memorializing a host of famed preachers, pastors, and prophets (OH MY!) who had passed away to glory since TBN has been on the air.

The paradox was revealed when I saw the 90 second tribute to Kenneth Hagin being followed by none other than MOTHER THERESA!!!! Wait a minute...STOP...REWIND...PLAY: MOTHER THERESA!!!! Kenneth Hagin, the self-proclaimed father of the "word-faith" movement and Mother Theresa memorialized together on the same program...wow, the end must be near.

As if this were not odd enough, good old Jan Crouch with images of Mother Theresa flowing upon the screen, recalled the time that she actually met the "little 4' 8" woman." Teary eyed, Jan recalled that she actually "fell to her knees before this woman."

She astonished me! Her words thunderstruck me! A charismatic evangelical falling to her knees before someone who is no doubt destined to become a Roman Catholic Saint (perhaps she has already be beatified?) I could not help but marvel at how many regular viewers of TBN must have shuddered at what Jan had said! (I wonder if anyone ever bothered to tell Jan that Mother Theresa regularly prayer to the Virgin Mary?!?!?!)

Of course everyone LOVES Mother Theresa, right? So much so that even a TV program where I know for a fact that the "institution" to which she willingly belonged had been affirmingly called the "whore of Revelation", can somehow relish her memory. It is a funny thing when many a Catholic or Orthodox (or both) Saint is so revered, but their particular religious affiliation is swept under a carpet - deemed unimportant or insignificant. And so now we can flash her image on the screen right next to Hagin and think happy thoughts.

Furthermore, some people who are ever trying to get away from the institutional churches and yet maintain a healthy respect (dare I say adoration) for Mother Theresa will strive to make claims about how "she was different" and I have even heard tales about how "she was often at odds with the hierarchy" (like any good hollywood film would insist upon). But I say PISH TOSH, she was a wonderful woman and a deeply devoted Roman Catholic and it was her Roman Catholic faith that inspired her to live the wonderful life that she lived. Now, we must deal with it.

Evangelicals can lay no more claim to her than we Orthodox can to C.S. Lewis. (Of course I am hard pressed to imagine that the modern day Anglicans can lay much claim to him either!)

Oh dear...I need to stop watching TBN, it has set me into a cantankerous mood.