Office Oversights and Undertones

I just got back from a coffee run with some of the other ladies that work in this office (I'm just working here for the summer, I've been here for a month so far). Granted, I don’t know them that well, and I almost didn’t go (introverted me!), but the need for coffee was too strong to ignore. Before we were even out the door, one of the ladies started talking about her Catholic friend, and ended with a wistful muse “I think she’s gonna get it soon.” “It.” Hmm… I think I understood where this conversation was going. I decided I had to be 1) on the defense and yet 2) on my best behavior. Yeah, an odd combination. But I had to enforce #2 or else I’d fly off the handle.

It wasn’t long before another lady chimed in, “Yes, they’re so fixated with Mary!” They continued to affirm each other’s beliefs with personal conviction (aka evangelical theology at its best), and chatted about how Catholics aren’t yet saved. *WOW*

I told them pretty quick into the conversation that I was Orthodox, and that we too observe Mary, but not in the exaggerated way they liked to think. This piqued one lady’s interest, the other sort of caught up with the fourth coffee brigadier and chatted with her.

We talked all the way to coffee (which wasn’t that long of a walk), and after the hubbub of the espresso joint, we resumed our conversation for the short walk back. I tried to explain, as genially as possible (and trying to keep in mind that it was a petite, soft-spoken Protestant women I was talking to and not a theologically sound, abrasive philosopher that I was trying to deal with) that Orthodoxy came before Catholicism, and after the split the latter took on some characteristics which it is best (or notoriously) known for today. I definitely didn’t go into detail, but as we returned to the office and after having shared a little about the Faith, she expressed that I had indeed given her some stuff to think about. Hmm.

My prayer is that she does at least give it thought. It’s all I can really hope for. You can’t always hope to help everyone convert, but once in a while it is a blessing to at least help someone examine the Truth a little more, gently encouraging them to go beyond the Christian Supply bookstore material.

Why should I even care if people bash Catholics (other than the fact that it’s down-right self-righteous and judgmental)? Well, because I know for sure that if they don’t like the LOOK of Catholicism, they probably won’t like the LOOK of the truly life-saving, holy catholic and apostolic Orthodox Church should they ever encounter Her.

If everyone at least took a sincere look at the religions they were bashing, and if they realized that God has the sole right to judge one’s soul, we might actually accomplish some of this “love of neighbor” our merciful Savior spoke of. And this “love of neighbor” just might be enough to lead them to the fullness of Truth.