This column was originally published in the Plain City Advocate.

Everyone knows that part of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 23:9.

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example . . . They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

When it comes to understanding how we are to interpret it, we should look at the total context. The rest of the Bible does not interpret it literally. In Acts 7:2 Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, addresses the Sanhedrin as “brethren and fathers.” St. Paul echoes Stephen in Acts 22:1 when he addresses the Jewish leaders saying “Brethren and fathers, hear the defense which I now make before you.” In Luke 16:24, Jesus Himself tells a parable about Father Abraham and St. Paul also refers to Abraham as “the father of many nations” in Romans 4:17-18.

The image of priest as father is found in 1 Thessalonians where Paul compares his ministry to “father with his children” (1Thes 2:11). St. John uses the same term, in his first epistle. Perhaps the most compelling biblical evidence that the religious title “father” is not contrary to Christ’s meaning in Matthew 23 comes from Paul’s explanation of his own priestly ministry: “I do not write this to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.” (1 Cor 4:14-16) Not only does Paul call himself “father” in a religious sense, he urges us to imitate him.

In the rest of the passage, Jesus also says “call no one teacher or master”. The title “doctor” is the Latin word for “teacher”. We do not object to calling Billy Graham “Doctor Billy Graham” or using the title for Doctor Jerry Falwell. It seems the point Jesus was trying to make is don’t use titles for self-importance.

As a military chaplain, some of the other chaplains would address me as “Father” and some would choose “Padre”. They were showing respect for a Catholic tradition and did not find it contrary to Jesus’ teaching.

image from MorgueFile

This column was originally published in the Plain City Advocate.

I frequently have friends ask if I’ve read “such and such”.  Many times I do not recognize the author.  When I ask them about a similar book, they don’t know the author I’ve mentioned.  Most of us read authors that we are familiar with because they share our church affiliation or have been recommended by our pastor.

On a recent visit to a bookstore, I purchased a book entitled 25 Books Every Christian Should Read.  The first thing I did was check its pedigree.  I like to know what point of view the author is likely to be promoting.  In this case, it was a board  selected by Renovare.  Check their website, www.renovare.us, to find out more about who they are and what their mission is.  In their words “These are books that should be shaping the church, our faith, and our engagement in the world.”

I won’t spoil the surprise by listing the 25 books, but I was struck by the diversity of the choices.  They did not include the Bible because it is a given that is the most important book for every Christian to read.  I was delighted to find some Catholic classics such as The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis, and Dark Night of the Soul, by St. John of the Cross, along with Institutes of the Christian Religion, by John Calvin, and Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan.

We all have denominational favorites.  We all have ideas of what spiritual reading should include.  Renovare include some unlikely choices in their list of 25.  I would not have thought of The Divine Comedy, by Dante, or The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevshy, or The Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins.

The editors include why each book is essential, some thoughts on how to read it, and then some excerpts from the book itself.  At the end of each chapter, there is a study guide with questions.  It would make a good book study for an ecumenical group.

The book prompted me to reflect upon what books I might include in a list I might recommend.  I have always found The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, to be insightful in how the devil works to win souls for Hell.  It is an easy and delightful read.

A book I frequently quote is The Spirituality of Imperfection, by Kurtz.  It gives encouragement for sinners striving for holiness.  The Art of Dying Well, by Robert Bellarmine is a Catholic classic subtitled “how to be a saint, now and forever”.

I have been fond of The Wounded Healer, by Henri Nouwen ever since I first read it and have re-read it many times. It is at this point I find my denomination bias showing because the other choices that come quickly to mind are from my Catholic heritage.

Read your denominational mainstays but pick up something from another perspective once in awhile.

image from MorgueFile