I have been thinking a lot about a conversation I had with a gentleman after a funeral service I conducted recently. It went like this:
He: ‘I was really surprised by that service.’
Me (fearing the worst): Oh, why?’
He: ‘Well, there was nothing I could disagree with. It was just like listening to a priest.’
It turned out, as you might have gathered, that he was a Roman Catholic. We spoke on and I valued the opportunity to put a few things straight but I couldn’t help wondering how he had gathered this impression of Church of Scotland ministers. To some extent it is understandable. Taken as a whole we do not always seem to be singing from the same hymn-sheet, not to mention preaching from the same Bible. But perhaps instead of making assumptions about the beliefs of Christians from other traditions we should be more inclined to ask and to listen.
For years I regarded the Roman Catholic teaching on birth control to be decidedly eccentric. I still do not agree with it but having read on the subject and heard it explained I understand it better and therefore can respect it.
The important thing for me, however, is that the Roman Catholic Church has never denied the Gospel. When I meet a priest I am dealing with a man who believes in the divinity of Jesus, His work for us on the Cross, His Resurrection and His promise to come again to finish the work of the Kingdom. There are, of course, areas of conflict but while those core beliefs remain there is a bond of fellowship which we can build upon.
