Pastoral Dilemma: to serve or to control.
Anthony Ekpunobi, CM.
The pastoral dilemma – to serve or to control – stem from the dual character of secular modernity. The modern society is described as disenchantment with the sacred and identity politics. The ‘craze’ for results in the pastoral ministry often push the priest or religious to edge of either to control result through the media, or rely on the Holy Spirit to the animate and guide his or her service to the ministry. In the Blessed Virgin Mary we find a healthy way to live and serve ministry in a secular world.
The Secular modernity is disenchantment from a world of religious belief and mystery to a world that is predictable and controllable. It used to be a world where we seek the will of God in everything; openness to His directives in individual lives as the almighty and creator. The ritual worship that bind humanity is no less valued. There is no space for what is religious. The social is gradually replacing the religious. The pastoral challenge in the modern society is to restore hope and meaning in our worship by renewing the value of the sacred.
Modern identity politics implies that social status is achieved rather than ascribed, group identity is de-emphasized to favor individual identity. In time past identity is achieved by belonging to a group, individual life is defined and shaped by culture. Modern relativism spurt individual culture. The result is that individuals must struggle to be recognized. This struggle for recognition find expression in the information technology. The social offers platform for recognition and advertisement of achievements. The challenge is to find a space within the available means in order to create awareness of the sacred.
The situations expressed above is the field of modern pastoral ministry. The ministry is to people who are disenchanted with the sacred and yearning for recognition within the social life of the society. Here in the city of Kharkov Ukraine, it is fashionable not to believe in God or associate with religion. It is fashionable to go to the park or the mall on Sunday morning in order socialize. The priest or religious in the ministry must be creative in order to make any impression in the lives of the people. He or she is no stranger to the identity politics, hence the struggle to voice out his or her mission to the society. Websites and Facebook pages offer very handy solution to this but with its own challenges.
The modern media is designed to meet the demands of secular modernity. It offers handy tools for personality building. It is highly controllable and predictable. In the social sphere it serves its purpose, but in the religious sphere caution is applied. Pope Francis said that it is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal. The controllability and the prediction within the media, gives room for manipulation in the pastoral ministry. The religious or priest who must report to his or her superior is offered an opportunity in the media to be in authentic.
Sharing of difficulties and experiences is no longer a reality among pastoral ministers. Openness to challenges is regarded as weakness and incapacitation. Rather than share difficulties, those in pastoral ministry take to social media to present to the world ‘what is good’. Because people believe what they see and hear, the media create a safe haven for pastoral anomalies. Deepening of the faith is abandoned and the pastoral minister gradually and unconsciously degenerates into disenchantment.
A solution is found in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) was invited by God to participate in the pastoral ministry of salvation of humanity. The Annunciation – Luke 1:26–38 is a fascinating story of the disposition and self-submission of the BVM to the pastoral invitation to participate in the salvation of the world. Her response is relevant to all pastoral workers of the modern time. When the angel brought the message – Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus – her reaction was that of a handmaid ready to accept whatever comes from her lord. Her question to the angel – How can this be, since I have no husband? – presupposes acceptance of the invitation. She is not in doubt of the source of the message, she merely asked for clarification of an already accepted invitation. She is disposed to follow instructions in order to achieve the aim- salvation of mankind. Although she knows not what will transpire in the process, but she relies on the Promise: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. Her motivation as her Lord’s Handmaid derives from her joy of being chosen and the success of the mission of salvation. Hence she exclaims: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaid. She feels the protection of God and is disposed to the realities of the mission. Her collaboration in the salvation story is not in doubt. Wherever her Son and Lord is mentioned, she is fondly remembered.
The idea of incarnation in human flesh was for the first time in the womb of the BVM. It was a reality shrouded in mystery. Her inability to explain to her relatives and friends is well recorded in the gospels. She was faced with the danger of disgrace and cancelation of her marriage to Joseph. She relied greatly on God whose flesh incarnates in her to offer solution. Her submission saw the gradual resolution of what would have been a scandal that is fatal. It is interesting to see that she is not bothered about how to solve or control her answers. She simply trusted in God.
The BVM’s greatest strength is her submission to the will of God. Keith Fournier describes her as a young woman was not full of herself, not self-protective, not cynical. She was therefore able to completely surrender herself in love, to Love. Her initial assent to the Angel Gabriel’s announcement reveals the very meaning of another Biblical word, holy. Holiness is not about being religious or looking pious. It is about being selfless. Mary . Submission to God is what will deliver the pastoral minister from the clutches of inner insecurity. The authenticity of our vocation implies that we are qualified in our ministry. As is shown in the life of the BVM, the ministry is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in his own way will publicize our service. We need not control what people will hear and see. Abandonment and submission to the Holy Spirit is the control we need in the ministry. For when every action is guided by the Holy Spirit, it is bound to come out good.