Sunday, June 07, 2009

..."Till Depth Do Us Part...



Isn't that the most CATCHY of titles!??? I just now read that on our DVR of a NEWHART episode from the 80's! I smiled and had to chuckle as I got to thinking, "hmm,that's like evangelicalism and Catholicism! PLEASE though, don't misconstrue my attempt at "lifting" this for a humorous take on the two "isms." When I read it, and laughed, (out loud and with a certain amount of melacholy, as I miss watching Newhart since we "downsized" our DISH package) it made me think of scuba diving. It made me think of, "the closer one gets to the source, the clearer is the water, or other substance." When one dives into the Catholic Church from being an evangelical or fundamentalist, or pentecostal, or other 'brand' of Chrisitan, it's like diving into the Tiber, and stirring up the muddy waters, but if you keep on swimming, and go into the "cave" and come up in St. Peter's......WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY CLARITY, BATMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm laughing and smiling....I'm starting to laugh too much to type right now....I can't keep on. GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!! SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE, TJ!!!! SOMEBODY!!!!!!! Other converts know exactly what I mean here!!! I know you (they) do!!! It's NOT A SLAM on other Christians, or other faith persuasions at all,but THIS IS A JOURNEY, A DEEP WATER JOURNEY, but it's not DEEP, DARK and SCARY, (in reality) but it is really, when you get used to the breathing aparatus, it's the most clear, crystal clear, sublime diving/swim/snorkle experience you can have! It's so DEEP.....so VAST.....that it really is "DEPTH" like you've never known, but always searched for...and hoped for and longed for all your life! I would never swim in an ocean, or go surfing in the ocean as I hate not knowing what's in the daunting, frightening depths of the sea...the ocean is full of things, deadly things ready to eat you in one fell swoop...one clamp of their jaws, one bite and you're gone! Or one swipe of a tail and your stung to death from a sting ray, or jelly fish. HOWEVER, the dive and swim in the TiBeR is different from the scary depths of the ocean because, when you COME TO KNOW, TASTE AND SEE that this is THE CHURCH JESUS BUILT, you've really NOTHING to be afraid of!!!! NOTHING!!! Swim with the fishes takes on a WHOLE NEW MEANING! HA HA HA

COME ON, COME SEE!! COME TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD AND SO IS HIS CHURCH!!! DIVE, SNORKLE, SWIM, SURF, WADE....ANYTHING!! HE and OUR LADY will meet you where you're at on your journey. Swim through the cave of "unknowing" and come up inside of Saint Peters Basilica, come up into the light and safety of the HARBOR of THE ONE TRUE CHURCH and BREATHE the FRESH SEA AIR!!! Feel the splash of clear water on your face and upon your hungry, thirsty soul and DRINK IN TRUTH!! The FULLNESS and it will quench your thirst and leave you craving to learn more and more and more!! COME ON! It is SOOOO WORTH IT!!!!

2 comments:

Russ Rentler, M.D. said...

AMEN AMEN, again I say Amen, 5 years and it only gets better!
Thanks for this post

Joyful Catholic said...

Thanks for your comment TJ, and AMEN! It only gets better!