There is a difference between being in the world and of the world. In the Gospel of John (Chapter 17) Jesus prays for us. He knows we will face evils, hardships and seductions of the world, but he still wants us to be here so that we can be his agents of love, his hands and feet. Yet we so easily can get lost in a life that is all about our own interests. What can life do for me? That’s often our motto.

Being of the world means getting caught up in everything that happens and worrying about how it affects us. Being in the world recognizes that we are here. But we don’t have to obsess over what happens. There is a distinction.

I was reading from Henri Nowen’s excellent daily meditation book Bread for the Journey (HarperSanFrancisco, 1997 – link) and today’s entry (October 23) compares the above with the idea that we can also be in the Church without being of the Church. Nowen remarks that this may be a more difficult challenge.

If we get too caught up in church matters we miss what the Church is all about. We are made up of the human and the divine. We, the followers of Jesus, are the Body of Christ. There are things to attend to, but if we focus too much on Church matters we miss what it is all about. We are to be a living community dedicated to the life of Christ in all our affairs. So being of  the Church (committees, positions, prominence and busyness) can distract from being in the Church and living lives of kindness, compassion, forgiveness and love.

The daily walk of a Christian is indeed spiritually challenging. How wonderful, for it is through these challenges that we grow. I believe in a faith that grows in both mystery and understanding.