FOR CHRISTIANS LIFE WITHOUT A CROSS IS MEANINGLESS

On Wednesday during morning session one member of the assembly  said that “Appreciative Discernment Theory (ADT) sounds  very good, but I don’t find a cross in  it.” So where is the cross? And for me I would like to ask each one of us “ Cant you live your life without a cross?

This question provoked a good discussion that produced all kinds of answers. Different kind disciplines came in such as spirituality, theology, Christology, sociology all trying to answer this question. But be may the most important point is that we need to discover what led to this kind of question?

Indeed it is true that this tool of which I name ADT (Appreciative Discernment Theory) is an absolutely a new tool to all of us. “ Newness is always frightening.” Even the disciples were frightened by the new experience in encountering the mysterium. So many of us wonder whether this tool will produce any good results in trying to address the Pre-chapter materials send from the General Council in Rome. Some members think ADT sounds like a superficial tool that doesn’t allow us to go “deeper into the real issues” and be critical to such  issues like  “handing over policy”  which process is being followed?But also issues like danger of nationalism and rascism,conflicts in our communities, how to detect and address addiction today,recruitment and formation,the fear of starting income generating projects,fear of genuine consultation in some of the appointments and handing over among others. How far can ADT address these issue which seem to carry crosses in our mission today?

But a CROSS what for? Do we need a cross to be happy in our life? After  a long discussion of about 45 minutes  we agreed “Yes” there  is a cross in the ADT. The truth is that “there is no mission without a cross.” As the saying goes that “a church without a cross is like a supermarket.” Why is this so? The cross is the universal sign of the presence of God in our life. It is a sign of God’s love in our life, it is a sign of life in the Spirit. It is a clear sign of our victory over the evil. Christ  who came to free people (Luke 4: 18-19) a cross  has won us new life through the cross. Jesus puts clearly that “ No one can come to me except through this  cross.”

“Christianity without a cross is a joke or a comedy,”  therefore a cross gives a deep meaning to our life as Christians  and missionaries as well. And after role  as missionaries we preach the “ crucified and risen Christ.”The suffering, death and resurrection of Christ is the whole point of our mission. Christ’ life is summed up by his death in the cross. ADT if  it has to make any meaning as a method of looking  at our mission and all what it entails must entail a CROSS.

Because we don’t like to be superficial that is why we  are looking for a cross in our ADT so that to make sure our mission makes sense. Missionary Africa is a human institution which is called to be divine, and to be divine means passing through the Paschal Mystery. We came to agree therefore that the whole theory of AD involves a Cross  that is from discovery, dreaming, designing and finally doing. It takes time, energy, patience, acceptance, to search for something worthy like gold what  about trying to discover the love of  God in our life as the driving force  for our mission? As human beings  sometime we have to accept that we carry with us some imperfections, and this is a cross as well. Let me finish by quoting a sentence from the Pre-chapter doc that says that “once we have learned to discern the Real, which is the dwelling place of God, we have embraced the Cross which is a reality in our life and mission.” So be happy now that we have the cross in the ADT. Cheers!

By Fr. Baptiste Regina Mapunda (M.afr)