There is always more going on than meets the eye. Behind the smile. Behind the frown. Behind the scowl. Behind the furrowed brow. Behind the mask. Behind the screen. Behind the scenes. Behind the walls.
There is always more going on than meets the eye. Beyond the pain. Beyond the hurt. Beyond the sadness. Beyond the disappointment. Beyond the despair. Beyond the regret. Beyond the broken promises. Beyond the shattered dreams. Beyond the fear.
There is always more going on than meets the eye. Beyond our windows. Beyond our doors. Beyond the walls. Beyond the fence. Beyond the border. Around the corner. Above the ceiling. Above the sky.
There is always more going on than meets the eye. Beyond our sight. Beyond our hearing. Beyond our touch. Beyond our smell. Beyond our thinking. Beyond our feeling. Beyond our present reality.
There is always more going on than meets the eye. Beyond our hopes. Beyond our dreams. Beyond our faith. Beyond our prayers. Beyond our imagination.
“That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” -1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT
Perhaps you saw it. The headline caught my attention as it boldly proclaimed, “An Arizona priest used one wrong word in baptisms for decades. They’re all invalid.”[1] And the headline wasn’t just talking about one or two baptisms, but thousands of baptisms that took place since the priest started his ministry in 1995. Rather than reciting, “I baptize you,” his habit was to say, “We baptize you.” Because of his mistake, made in both English and Spanish over the years, Rev. Andres Arango, described as a good priest, resigned.
The article goes on to state that:
As far as the diocese is aware, all of the other sacraments that Arango conferred are valid. But because baptism is the “sacrament that grants access to all the others,” a botched baptism could invalidate any subsequent sacraments, including confirmation, marriage and holy orders.
“What this means for you is, if your baptism was invalid and you’ve received other sacraments, you may need to repeat some or all of those sacraments after you are validly baptized as well,” the diocese said.[2]
When I first heard this on the news, I was speechless. Incredulous might be a better word. Even though I’m not Roman Catholic, my heart goes out to those poor souls, thousands of them over the past quarter century, who are now being told by their church authorities that they are not really a part of the church because of a “mistake” made by a priest due to a single word he uttered.
I am sure this will be the topic of many theological and philosophical debates. Ecclesiastical law, semantics, and likely the priest’s ethnicity and language will be analyzed, scrutinized, and categorized for some time. All because of a single word, intended to convey a good thing, but suddenly upsetting the lives of the very persons it was intended to bless.
It is sometimes difficult to find the right word, isn’t it? Finding the right words or getting the words right is something that preachers like me spend a lot of time on. And the Bible has a lot to say about our words, as did Jesus. Remember when He said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37 NKJV)?
The Apostle Paul said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13 NIV), which was a paraphrase of Joel 2:32 in the Old Testament.
It doesn’t sound difficult. It doesn’t require reciting an exact word or phrase. It couldn’t be more inclusive. Everyone has an equal opportunity to “call on the name of the Lord,” and find salvation and eternal life. It is sad that such a simple thing could become so complicated and confusing.
Jesus told a story about two men praying. One, a very religious man, used a lot of fancy language and did his best to point out to God that he was righteous and worthy. Jesus pointed out that this man’s boasting did nothing to gain God’s attention or admiration. In stark contrast, the other man, considered a great sinner, “stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” Jesus went on to say, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:13-14 NIV)
God had mercy on the man who asked for it. What are the right words that our merciful God listens to? Sincere words. Humble words. Truthful words. Caring words. Loving words. Compassionate words. Contrite words. Grateful words. Heartfelt words. Halting words. Faith-filled words. Intercessory words. Clear words. Kind words. Simple words.
Even as He died upon the cross, we see the contrast between the right and wrong words. Dying between two criminals, one spoke words of derision, the other spoke words of contrition. This is how Luke 23:39-43 (NIV) describes the scene:
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Simple words. Dying words. Sincere words. The right words: “Jesus, remember me.” No baptism. There wasn’t time or opportunity for it. No long confession to a priest. Just a heartfelt plea to the High Priest, Jesus Christ. And Jesus’ response was good news for all of us sinners who call upon the Lord: “. . .today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus often used simple words, words a child could understand. He called his first disciples in John chapter one using 5 simple words. “Follow me. Come and see.” Those were the right words to draw them into a lifetime of adventure, travel, and service. Those simple words were the right words that changed the world and are still changing lives today.
The most important words, the right words, are often difficult to speak.
I am sorry.
I was wrong.
Please forgive me.
I forgive you.
I love you.
I care.
But don’t wait until your dying day. Practice saying the right words until they come automatically from your heart. Don’t worry about getting them wrong. Don’t worry that somebody higher up will rule them invalid. Jesus always receives these as the right words. And in the end, His opinion is the only one that counts.
[1] “An Arizona priest used one wrong word in baptisms for decades. They’re all invalid.” NPR News Religion, February 15, 2022. Accessed 2/16/2022 at https://www.npr.org/2022/02/15/1080829813/priest-resigns-baptisms?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20220216&utm_term=6328018&utm_campaign=news&utm_id=4920732&orgid=&utm_att1
