These Three

I have curtailed my reading of other blogs, and may cut it back further. When I first found out about the blogosphere and the God Blogs in particular I was fascinated by the phenomena, and excited at the possibility of finding like minds, of finding people of faith like myself.

But as time wore on I noticed something else. I can't say it started at such a point and started growing, because it has always been there. In my original enthusiasm I didn't pay it much attention to it. I can do so no longer.

What I saw brought to mind a passage from 1 Corinthians 13:13. It reads: "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (Yes, I know, I'm using the King James here.) Catholic bloggers should have these three virtues in abundance. When I read them I see tremendous Faith; I see great Hope. But often Charity is sadly lacking. Many blogs that used to be part of my daily reading are filled with rage, spite, contempt, disdain and even hatred. I do not know how long one can go on feeling such things without coming to despair, which is nothing but a loss of hope and faith.

There is, I believe, righteous indignation. There is a zeal for just causes. I do not speak of such things. They are fueled by Love of God which drives us forward. I believe Chesterton once said of soldiers that the true ones fight not because of what is in front of them, but for what is behind them. There seems to be a point, an elusive one, where we run the danger of shifting between the two, and focusing on that thing in front, and being motivated by our hatred of it, and straying from the love of God.

Is there anyone out there who has found the same or similar? Or perhaps I am completely off the mark. I am speaking of a fine dividing line, an infinitely fine line, it seems. Is it possible that some bloggers, in trying to express their faith, have left it behind? Can we possibly stray with them?