This is Part 15 of a fifteen-part series called “The Vision of an Ideal Parish” based on an article by Dr. Peter Williamson published in 2016. This series is intended to return us to our original Faith Forward Vision.
I know that many of you, like me, can remember a time when maps were on paper. And, perhaps, you also remember being frustrated when the actual road you needed was on the fold of the map! But now maps have moved to smartphones and tablets and are actual satellite images of the land. Nowadays any person can look up any place in the world and have a relatively recent satellite image of that place. When I first experienced that on “google-earth” I was honestly creeped out. Starting with an image of the globe I was able to zoom into the US, then zoom into Kansas, then zoom into Wichita, then zoom to my house. I was able to count the number of chairs that were on my back porch! I mean, there was a time when such images were the result of highly classified military intelligence operations! Well… zoom, zoom, and zoom in even more… I guess Disney is right, “It’s a small world after all!”
I think the thing that caused me to “creep out” is the knowledge that our world seems smaller than it once seemed. Because of smartphones, Facetime, or WhatsApp, what was once “long-distance” is now only a text, snapchat, or webcam click away. I guess this means that living in a “small world” means living in a connected world; and this shouldn’t be creepy at all… it should be an opportunity!
With all the connections and all the knowledge we have of a global world we are so much better positioned to help others throughout the world. We are, after all, called the “Universal Church” because from our beginning we have spread to every continent, in every culture, in every age. In fact, the word “Catholic” itself means “universal.” And an ideal parish is concerned with the “universal” church.
Yes, it IS a small world after all; and, yes, it IS necessary for us to remember our brothers and sisters around the globe. Whether displaced refugees, international immigrants, financially destitute, religiously persecuted, materially impoverished, or environmentally famished, we are called to be concerned for every catholic, in every country, in every culture, in every age.
We must have a universal attitude! This attitude begins with being properly informed about world events. I suggest the EWTN app that includes links to Vatican News, US Catholic News, National Catholic Register, America’s Catholic News and World Catholic News. We are also universal when we donate to the Easter Collection and even a portion of our Sunday collection goes to fund universal efforts. And then we must pray, pray, and pray again for our brothers and sisters around the world. Come to think of it, prayer is the original “google-maps” where we can zoom, zoom, and zoom again, our care and concern into every soul that is struggling and support them through universal connections.
Father Jarrod Lies, Pastor