A Reflection for Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Find today’s readings here.
“The eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?" (Acts 8:36)
Whoever the next pope is, one fundamental question will be raised about his ministry: How does he evangelize? That, after all, is the reason the church exists. The new pope will certainly preach about Jesus Christ. But in what way, and with what goal? To convince individuals around the world that Catholicism is the “right” religion? To convert cultures that he believes are godless and hostile to the good news? To listen, accompany and encourage people without judgment, like Pope Francis did?
Christianity has always held that there are many paths to God. Each of the figures highlighted in the New Testament has a unique life experience and comes from a particular culture. Some are public sinners. Some are foreigners. Some are healed by Jesus. Others are convinced about him, like the Ethiopian eunuch in the Acts of the Apostles.
This is one of the powerful stories of evangelization and conversion in the New Testament. The apostle Philip accompanies the Ethiopian eunuch on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza. They begin a dialogue about the prophet Isaiah. Philip offers instruction and eventually connects the dots to Jesus. In a dramatic moment along the journey, the eunuch sees a body of water and asks, “What is to prevent my being baptized?"
The story suggests that Philip was a convincing evangelizer. But the most striking element is not what he said, but what he did not say. Philip did not say, “Look, there’s a body of water. You should be baptized.” The eunuch’s conversion is something genuine that happens in its own time and in its own way, without Philip insisting on it. One wonders: If Philip took a different approach, pointing out all of the things that were wrong with the eunuch's views, lifestyle or culture and insisting on baptism, would we still be reading and reflecting on this story today?
Evangelization is a complex thing. It’s the reason the church exists, but it can’t be strategized, programmed or controlled. It defines us, but we can’t define it. In many cases it happens in spite of Christians rather than because of us.
Catholics can (and do!) debate whether Pope Francis was an effective evangelizer. But we can say for sure that he followed the example of the apostle Philip. He accompanied, listened, dialogued, instructed, and left the rest up to God.
