Hebrew prophets were free to love their tradition and to criticize it at the same time. Similarly, we need to understand that criticizing the “unloving beliefs and practices” of the Church is being faithful to the pattern set by the prophets and Jesus because that is exactly what they did (Matthew 23). It is important, however, to do it in a way that is faithful to God.
The common presumption is that if we criticize something, we do not love it. Institutions always want loyalists. None of us has been known for criticizing ourselves. We only criticize one another, sinners, and heretics. Yet, Paul says the prophetic gift is the second most important charism for the building up of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11).
Human consciousness emerges through struggling with our shadow. It is in facing our conflicts, criticisms, and contradictions that we grow. We remain largely unconscious as human beings until issues come into our life that we cannot control and something challenges us, forcing us to expand and deepen. It is in the struggle with our shadow self, with failure, or with wounding, that we break into higher levels of consciousness.
People who refine consciousness to a high spiritual state, who learn to name and live with paradoxes, are the people who are prophetic. We all have varying degrees of this gift, which we must refine and develop.
Matthew 23:1-3 “Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example.’”
