Are we still fighting the Civil War?

Spent the day today (Saturday) in northwest Arkansas with two purposes in mind.



The first was to visit Pea Ridge Civil War National Battleground. Why? Well, for one it is one of the best-preserved Civil War battlegrounds we have left. It is almost exactly like it was 150 years ago when a battle was fought here between thousands of Union and Confederate soldiers. The outcome of this bloody battle ensured that Missouri would remain part of the Union.



The other reason I wanted to visit was to get another stamp in my National Park passport. Hey, I told you I am a total dork.


After touring Pea Ridge (and watching cannon being fired, and eating cracked corn and boiled peanuts and real bacon), I drove another hour through the Ozarks to John Michael Talbot's Little Portion Hermitage monastery. Although two of the main buildings were destroyed by a fire in April, I was able to see their stone chapel and walk through their beautiful prayer garden.



It was a day I will not soon forget.

So, why write about these two events in one post? What do they have in common. Much, if you ask me. The first, Pea Ridge, was the site of a battle between men who should have all been on the same side. They were all Americans--they all spoke the same language. Officers from each side had fought the previous war together--they were friends, they were classmates from West Point. Now, because of a difference in how they interpreted states' rights (which is really what the slavery issue came down to--was it a federal decision or was it up to each individual state to determine how it would treat slaves?) they were shooting each other. Dead.

(In saying this, I am in no way condoning slavery. It was, and is where it is still practiced, abhorrent. Slavery was and is wrong. But the American Civil War was not about a moral decision--it was about Constitutional interpretation.)

The Hermitage is a community of Christians, of followers of Jesus. These brothers and sisters work, pray and worship together. They are seekers of God and learning to love one another as Jesus commanded us. It just so happens that these believers are Catholics. And that is where civil war begins.

A bit of background. I came to faith outside of Dayton, Ohio in the Jesus People movement and the Charismatic renewal of the 70s. The church where Jesus met me, and where I fell in love with Him, was a Baptist church. There I was taught how to study Scripture, introduced to the Holy Spirit, and was told that Catholicism was a cult, just like Mormons or Moonies. Dayton is a very Catholic city, with many Irish Catholics and many Catholic churches and schools. So now I was learning that all of these people were as far from God as were pagans. Maybe farther.

Then I went to work at the Zondervan Family Bookstore in Town and Country Shopping Center. Next to our store was a World Bazaar store, kind of an early version of of Pier One. When we needed change ("I only have twenties--I need ones"), I would go next door to World Bazaar and see Mary Schmidt. (It seemed that if Mary was working, I needed change a lot.) Mary was maybe a couple of years older than I, but we were friends because we worked next to each other. Mary was, how shall I say, stunningly beautiful, so it wasn't hard for me to find a reason to talk with her. But I was really in love with Jesus, and that is what I wanted to talk about the most. And I quickly found out that Mary was a--gasp!--Catholic. Should I even be talking with her? Was I going to have to repent to my youth group for becoming friends with a member of a cult? I figured if I could get Mary saved, then I would be ok. I mean, Catholics could become Christians, right? So I asked Mary if she wanted to become a Christian.

"But I am a Christian," she said.

"You're a Christian? I thought you were a Catholic." (I was an idiot.)

"Well, I believe that Jesus is God's son. And every morning I pray and ask Him to help me do what he wants me to do. What more do I have to do?"

Uh, nothing.

That day I learned that Catholics are Christians too.

Yet there is still a war raging in many circles between Protestants and Catholics. Us vs. Them. We are right, they are wrong.

What is wrong with Catholics? They pray to saints. (That is not what the Church teaches. Catholics ask saints to pray for them, just as I might ask you to pray for me when I have a need.) They worship Mary. (No, they just show her respect, as Jesus showed His mother respect. Is there anything wrong with showing respect to the woman who bore God's son?) Catholics think the Pope is infallible. (No, but they feel he is appointed by God to lead the Church. And we are told to show respect to to those who have spiritual charge over us. Again, is there a problem showing respect?)

The was between the states is over. We are one nation again. So when will the war between brothers and sisters in Christ end? When will we embrace one another, pray with one another, serve one another? When will we make Christ known by loving one another?