The separation of Church and State

 The Gospel Weekend seems to give a clear differentiation between the sacred and the secular. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's. It seems to be clear-cut where one should not influence the other or vice versa. The danger is that religion is seen only as a private affair that has no impact on the public arena. However, we believe that rather than seeing our beliefs as icing on the cake they are core to our identity and to how we view creation. What we believe influences how we view ourselves and how we act in the world. Thus our beliefs do influence our relationships and how we act as good stewards in the world.

It is with this understanding that there is a sacred underpinning to all life that we seek to interact with each other and how we seek to care for the environment we live. This stance helps us to see that we are both body and spirit. As people influenced by the incarnation of Jesus Christ we are called to see how his life influences our own. The belief that the divine and the human are intimately interlinked helps us to use material things for the good of others not just for the good of ourselves. Thus it is this understanding of the sacred underpinning for all life that shapes who we seek to become.

Thus we seek to serve the common good by respecting both the material and spiritual welfare of the community of which we are a part. We are called to be good citizens in both the earthly and heavenly realms. This helps us to know that our identity as Christians is called to incarnate the Gospel in our own day. In creating a culture that fosters the welfare of others, that displays good stewardship for the people and creation entrusted to our care, and our seeking to be transformed by the Word we display a life that seeks to be authentic and whole. This is at the heart of holiness not that we have a foot in both camps, the sacred and the secular but rather that the secular becomes an expression of that divine imprint that is planted on our hearts. This means that we seek to live in a way that considers who God is and how that influences the way we act for the good of all creation.