​Frequently Flyer!

It doesn’t take long if you are frequent flyer around the country or world for business or leisure that joining the airlines reward program has some benefits. I have traveled domestically and racked up 1000s of points between 2013 and 2016 in my role as National Coordinator for Marist Youth. I reached silver status in no time. I knew also Gold was not far from reach and Platinum was for the elite. The tier program divides people and rewards them for mileage. It is all about earning points which you can do these days by using your credit card.

I can’t help but observe that we have in our spiritual consciousness a “frequent flyers spirituality”. This is so evident over the Easter period with large crowds flocking to the Churches. Maronite Churches in particular are filled with the faithfuls. I am not here to judge anyone. I am simply pointing out that for many attending church, going to confession, praying, doing good deeds; all earn frequent flyer program in God’s reward program, “God’s holiness program.” And avoiding sin avoids us losing points or makes us earn demerits. Our Middle Eastern culture is filled with this point collection system so we tend to rack up points so people are pleased and happy. Externalities and appearances can be consuming.

We have in our Christian psyche that in God’s holiness program, we all start as members and work our way up the tier program. We think saints have reached platinum and thus are in heaven. They are the most holy, ofcourse. For the vast majority though going past silver seems a challenge. So we endlessly becomes doers and rack our brains to earn points. We, regular Church goers are susceptible to this the most, for we enter into competition with others and laugh / judge those who refuse to do anything to earn points. It burns us out and that’s no surprise. We feel used and abused.

We think if I go to Church on Sunday, I pray more, I go to confession, I help others, I do penance, I sacrifice, I help the priest and I do this or that and more, I will earn more points with God. We think by avoiding sin we don’t lose points and that is good for us as one day we will be sinless and hence perfect and therefore holy. We are hell bent on portraying saints as perfect people from birth to death. We make movies and write their stories relfecting that.

We even live with the shame of losing points when we sin. All that this does though is inflate our pride as we go on an EGO project where I become holy and create my own path to holiness. The rewards program becomes an ego program.

Yet this is exactly what authentic spirituality is NOT about. This is anti-Gospel. This attitude may work well when you are being introduced to the faith, in the first phase of discipleship but we need to outgrow it and evolve if we are serious about our relationship with God.

Let’s get things straight. Spirituality has little to do with climbing up the rewards program and more to do with going down. It is in descending that we ascend. Why? Because we need grace and grace operates in weakness. Grace operates when we are descending, when we are in need of God. We don’t need grace when we are on an ego mission for we become self-sufficient. Grace has no place when I am driving the car, in full control.

This is the great paradox of our faith found in the Gospels, which Jesus alluded to when he says: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Mt 16:26) and when he also says: “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Mt 23:12). It is in losing that we win in God’s frequent flyers program. We earn points through conversion. That is counter cultural I know and against every frequent flyers program in the country and against every positive reinforcement program.

In God’s program, the kingdom, we are all already platinum members right from the beginning, but wounded members. From God’s perspective we are his children loved into being and guided by God’s grace. We are totally of God and for God. “We are the beloved Children, in whom God is already pleased”. We can do nothing to earn points alone for we always in need God’s grace. Jesus reminds his disciples to “abide in him” for “without me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). All we need to do in be in state of daily conversion.

The parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector also highlights God’s perspective. It is the sinner who comes in his emptiness or lowliness to God that is praised as opposed to the pharisee who was too busy earning points.

This is also the experience of the mystics. St Therese of Lisieux who was aspiring to be a saint tried the frequent flyers program in her younger days but felt it was beyond her. She wrote: “It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new[…] It is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven, And so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less.” Indeed for her loosing points meant grace will be at work and God will take over.

A final necessary question must be asked. What’s the point of doing good acts and being formed in the virtues? Indeed that’s important and we all must make morally good choices BUT we need a paradigm shift. We shouldn’t do well to earn platinum for we ARE platinum members already. In God’s eyes we are already privileged. We will not be loved more if we DO more. It is rather that loves comes first.

Simply, when we realise how much we are loved, the only worthy repsonse is to love back. Love can be repaid by love alone. Hence all our acts flow from that love of God that empowers us in the midst of our weakness and wounds. My grace is sufficient for you for my Grace is operative when you are weak (2Cor 12:9).

Our life time calling is not to do good and get pedantic about doing good and earn points. Rather our vocation is to discover that despite our brokeness, woundness and unworthiness in many ways, we are so loved by God. We are his platinum children, always in need of conversion and grace.

Ye3ne Ne3me!!!