The quickest way to end a dialogue (or a debate) is to take a cynical approach to it. Unfortunately, many a conversation is killed by cynicism before it ever starts: it's much easier to talk than to listen, and easier still to mock. Mockery without sympathy or the respect to listen tends to cause any conversation to devolve into hurling proof-texts, exchanging insults, and a sharing of barbed invective between both parties. Alas, it is always easier to throw rocks than to build a house--let alone a Church.
As Catholics we are called to build the Church, which in some ways is a metaphor for evangelizing the nations and the people. This is, of course, difficult when the nations and the people want to through rocks at us--to mock and insult and belittle, let alone to simply ignore. However, building the Church becomes impossible if we decides to stop working and throw rocks back, therapeutic as this might be in the short term. If we throw too many stones, we'll find that we have no building material left, and no time left to build anything even if we did.
Tags: Reflection Short Philosophy
