On Being "Good"

The question is often asked, "Can't I be a good person without going to church?" And the answer is, "Certainly.  The Pharisees were good people in the natural sense.  They obeyed the law; they tithed; they gave to the poor and followed the rituals of their faith.  But their hearts were far from God, instead focused on the good things they were doing." 

Of course, the Pharisees also attended Temple services, so one could argue that the question does not apply.  But the question assumes that "being good" is the point of going to church.  The church-goer, the obeyer of the law, needs a relationship with God every bit as much as the sinner or the non-church goer.  The aim is not to "be good;"  the aim is friendship with God, Who Alone is the Source of all good.

If His love and guidance is not the source of our "being good," our best actions often produce mixed results.  It is wonderful to do good in the world, but it is even better to allow God access to the human condition through us.  Only the Holy Spirit knows what should be done in any given circumstance---there is no "formula" except prayer and freedom in Jesus Christ.

Sometimes, as Jesus demonstrated, it is better to break the law in favor of mercy and compassion.  But unless we are attuned to God's direction in each circumstance, unless our hearts are open to hear His voice at each moment, we are most likely not to do what He would have us do. 

Learning to listen to that inner Voice, for most of us, means being trained in the ways of God by listening together with the community of believers.  We cannot be sure we are really hearing the voice of God within until it has been affirmed over and over again through the community of those who are listening too.  So church, then, is a place where our spiritual gifts can grow, a place where we can be blessed by others and where we ourselves can learn to be a blessing to them.