Dr. Gregory Popcak is someone I linked to a few days ago when I found a piece that was touching and poignant and relevant to Pope Benedict's departure.
Yesterday I found another Popcak piece via a link from a friend on Facebook and loved it. In it he details
Here are 3 Steps Catholics can use to beat the press.
Step 1: Firmly/Respectfully Reset the Conversation.
Step 2: Ask Leading Questions (i.e., Interview them.)
Step 3: Establish the Real Agenda (i.e., Give ‘em Jesus.)
Now you can't do the piece justice by excerpting only a portion of it but allow me to whet your appetites and excerpt Step 3:
Step 3: Establish the Real Agenda
You: Exactly! Excellent! You’re offended because in every one of the instances you cite, the Church behaved like the world instead of the Church. You’re absolutely right to be offended too, because it’s the Church’s job to look as little like the world as possible so that we can tweak your conscience, make you think twice, get under yourskin. We MUST be different because we, quite literally, are called to irritate the hellout of the world. The more the Church does any of the things you want it to do, the less it functions as Church and the more it becomes some benign social club. But be honest. You’d love that wouldn’t you? Because you’re tired of the Church making you think twice about questions you can barely stand to think once about.
Reporter: That’s ridiculous!
You: Is it? How often do you think about the babies crushed by abortion? How often do you think about human slavery? About the rights of immigrants to not be unjustly spearated from their families? About women being prescribed drugs that are giving them cancer and poisoning the environment? How much do you care about the epidemic of people using other people? Do you know the names of the homeless guy you passed on the way to work? How much time did you spend feeding the hungry last week? Caring for the sick and dying? Visiting the prisons? Teaching the ignorant? Comforting the afflicted? The Church does all that and more exactlybecause it does not want to look anything like your world. There is nothing in your world that we want. There is nothing your world can offer us. Well, I take that back. There is exactly one thing that the Church wants from your world.
Reporter: What’s that?
You: (Suddenly calm. Serious. Very intentional) We would very much like to claim your soul for Jesus Christ–and the souls of your friends and family and listeners. We would love for you to join us. After this interview, would you pray with me?
Reporter: Well, that’s about all the time we have….
And That’s a Wrap.
But isn't a wrap for you dear reader. Go read the whole thing. It's awesome.
And trust me when I suggest that you make the good Doctor a regular read. I'm taking my own advice and adding him to the blog roll.