Luke 9: Not "conservative," not "progressive," just Christian

I'm always distressed whenever I perceive division between two factions within the church: on one side, the "conservatives" who emphasize the importance of theological orthodoxy, moral uprightness, and a personal relationship with Christ; and on the other, the "progressives" who focus on peace and justice and caring for the poor and marginalized. (Granted, this dichotomy is over-simplistic, but there's truth to it.)

But Luke tells us that Jesus "called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal" (9:1-2).

According to Jesus, the church's theological mission (proclaiming the kingdom of God) is bound up with its mission to meet people's physical needs (healing), and vice versa. The two go together.

That's why the Catholic Church has traditionally emphasized both the spiritual works of mercy (instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, admonishing sinners, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving offenses willingly, comforting the afflicted, and praying for the living and the dead) and the corporal works of mercy (feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead).

You don't get to pick and choose. Being a Christian means living the whole package.

(Image: Master of Alkmaar, "The Seven Works of Charity," 1504)