Obedience, that cursed word

In a few days we will celebrate Ash Wednesday. Lent begins, a time in which it is our turn to examine our conscience, so I would like to call attention to a normalized sin among Catholics, that of disobedience.

This is one of the dangers of the worldlyization of the Church, when we adopt within the Christian community customs or behaviors contrary to the Gospel because everyone else does it that way. The truth is that, in our society, the very word «obey» is already taboo. Authority, so closely related to the figure of the father, is at its lowest ebb and its serious consequences are suffered by groups that traditionally had enjoyed it, such as teachers or health workers who, today, suffer aggression and lack of respect day in and day out. 

Disobedience as a norm, authority in crisis

Much has been said about the origin of this evil of incalculable social consequences as a paradigmatic example of the «Overton window», that concept that says that an idea or practice that today is inadmissible, in a short time will be considered a radical option, but then it will become acceptable, to be understood as sensible and then popular before becoming a norm or even a law.

Literature, cinema and television have been presenting us, little by little, with models of parents or established authority that are less and less respectable. So much so that the best thing to do is not to obey.

The books of Harry Potter, films such as ET y The Goonies and its current tribute in the form of a series Stranger Things, or animation series such as The Simpsons or children's Peppa Pig they present us with moronic or outright evil authority figures. For the record, I consider myself a true fan of many of these pop culture icons, but admittedly, one ends up thinking poorly in general of parents, police or governments because, according to their arguments, they really hinder the protagonists' fulfillment.

Sowing doubt about authority is what a famous snake did in an also iconic story when he said (and not in Parseltongue), «No, you will not die (if you taste the fruit); it is that God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God in the knowledge of good and evil.» I'm sure that rings a bell too. 

Disobeying is «appetizing» like that fruit of Eden because who is anyone to tell me what I should think or how I should behave? No one better than oneself (says the individualist in all of us) to know what I should think, how I should behave or decide what is good or bad.

Christian conscience and obedience

The social networks, blogs and Catholic-yellowish websites, from the left and the right, have fostered this little culture of mistrust, sowing doubts about the good intentions of this or that pastor, starting with those of Rome.

That gossip, that slander makes a dent, although we believe it does not, in the faithful people to the point that many of them confuse their own ideology mixed with null formation with heroic prophetism and believe they are Catherine of Siena when they speak against the Pope or the bishops. Others think that the Doctrine of the Church is a kind of limitation to 50 on the freeway, a sign for the gallery but that no one, in fact, complies with.

So, I take from here and there what suits me or fits my individuality and here peace and then glory. There are those who go from group to group, from movement to movement, from parish to parish, from experience to experience, looking for who fits their scheme. But, hey, they never feel satisfied, because what they are told, what they are advised, or the dynamics that are carried out there according to each charism do not end up pleasing them because it means to obey and they only obey their God, who is themselves.

And yes, yes, there are also abuses of power and soulless people with spiritual authority, and we must be vigilant, watchful and defenestrate them if necessary; and above all, we must obey our conscience, that tabernacle that we all have inside; but let it be clear that there are also many ill-formed consciences and arrogant people who do not admit any kind of discipline.

The exemplary obedience of the saints

I am left with the testimonies of the saints, such as Teresa of Jesus, who had many reasons to disobey and to rebel against the injustices of her superiors, but who, even so, taught that «in obeying is the greatest perfection», affirming on her deathbed that she died happy as a «daughter of the Church»; or St. Francis of Assisi, who was also unjustly treated by some superiors, but who advised obedience because it means renouncing one's own will for the love of God.  

Teresa, Francis and so many others did not do it on their own merit, but because they received the grace of being configured to Him who was «meek and humble of heart», who gave «to Caesar what is Caesar's» and who said: «Father, if you will, take this cup from me; but not my will, but yours be done». And so it is.