Badges of honor

Education is a wonderful thing and it is good for leaders to be well educated - even on the parish level and even the non-ordained. (The Church throughout the millennia has suffered too much from poorly educated ministers.)

But sometimes we may boast too much and too quickly of our education or other earthly credentials (e.g., wealth, reputation, connections, charm, good looks): forgetting the ultimate source of our power as fellow workers for Christ.

Likewise, St. Paul would refer occasionally to his own excellent education and background (e.g., Acts 22:3), but...

What things were gain to me,
those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord:
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ,
Philippians 3:7-8

Thus in today’s first reading (2 Cor. 6:1-10), St. Paul puts forward a very special set of credentials as a minister of God, obtained not in schools but...

In afflictions, hardships, constraints,
beatings, imprisonments, riots,
labors, vigils, fasts;

Credentials earned not by exams and papers but...

By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering,
by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
By the word of truth, by the power of God,
by the armour of righteousness
on the right hand and on the left,

These credentials are not recognized or respected by the world for the world does not recognize the reality behind them. Thus the world sees faithful ministers and people of faith...

as deceivers [and yet (we are) true];
As unknown [and yet well known];
as dying [and behold, we live];
as chastened [and not killed];
As sorrowful [yet always rejoicing];
as poor [yet making many rich];
as having nothing [and yet possessing all things].

All of these things seem bad in the eyes of most people in this world - afflictions, hardships, beatings, bad reputations, poverty, etc. – yet for St. Paul they are badges of honor for they are occasions for his manifesting the power of God.

Earthly credentials may have their uses, but they also have their limits.

All of us – ordained or otherwise, well-credentialed or not – should strive for these credentials: seeking to manifest the Lord’s grace more and more perfectly, no matter what troubles and challenges we may face, so that we may obtain the greatest badges of honor and glory in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.