In our society of “acceptance” the concept of discipline is not a popular one. The word itself seems to draw immediate loathing from many who seem to think it is an outdated concept, and one that reeks of actual commitment to an ideal or position. The more comfortable path, the wider path most often chosen, is to commit to nothing at all. To live a life of accepting anything that anyone else says, so as to avoid any possibility of offending their sensibilities. The trouble is, there are some seriously misguided folks out there, and the ideas they purvey as new “truths” are fit more for spreading in your garden, than being spoken to anyone else, except perhaps in jest. To show commitment, or to discipline oneself to speaking the truth no matter how unpopular it might be at times, is now looked upon as being hurtful, hateful, or somehow motivated by some deliberate bias against some group of individuals.
The reality is that if you have any intellect at all, and especially if you are committed as part of your intellectual and moral stance to a set of standards which guide your behavior, you are now seen as a target of ignorant contempt by the masses who would rather exist in comfortable, vacuous lives that require no courage whatsoever to live out. Yet as followers of Christ, we are called to hold to His teachings. We are called to live our lives in this way, and to absolutely not do so in convenient silence, but rather to proclaim our stance to others in such a way that there can be no mistaking our position. This does not ever mean doing so out of any sort of malice or self-aggrandizing motivation, but rather to humbly, yet persistently cling to our beliefs. To share them in such a way that any view of our actions cannot be misinterpreted except by the most polarized of individuals who adhere to morally corruptive stances only believed by a super-minority of humanity. To do this, is to live and walk toward the narrow gate as our path and goal. This requires both fortitude and discipline to see us through situations that will inevitably arise as a result. Make no mistake, we are incapable of doing any of this on our own. The fortitude and discipline of which I spoke can only come in sufficient intensity from a source outside ourselves, and will require prayer to ask for these graces. To ask to be strong enough to endure the initial pains that come from this kind of living, and to hold out until we have matured enough to reinterpret these manifestations as a joyful event, because we then know that God is truly with us and guiding us, and loving us in our efforts. We are then blessed, not with comfort, but with strength to endure. We are no longer lame in our walk through life. We have chosen to be recognized by God, so that when the day comes for each of us, He will not tell us to depart and say “I do not know where you are from”. Rather, we will be counted among the prophets who will be gathered together in His flock.
The Deacons Bench 