If Jesus returned, would he have to start all over?

I have referred to myself in the past as Catholic to the core which remains my belief today. I have had my ups and downs with the Catholic Church but the basic tenets that I learned early in life are still my core beliefs.

There was a time when I accepted that I was a “cafeteria Catholic” believing some, and rejecting some of the rules and mysteries that were hard to comprehend. I chalked it up to faith, perhaps a bit weak, but faith, nonetheless. Believing faith was a gift I accepted times of doubt as part of the gift; sort of an ebb and flow.

It has taken me a long time to discern that the institution of the church and the belief structure of the church are very different. I somehow mixed them all up into an amorphous mess failing to distinguish belief from structure. When separating the institution from the faith the similarities between the church institution and other institutions (government, political) became very clear.

There are very few beliefs central to the Catholic faith that I do not believe. There was a time, when I was young, that I grappled with the Resurrection because of the absence of secular historical confirmation of such a remarkable event. Absent some “concrete proof” I had my doubts. I satisfied my doubt with accepting that the life of Jesus and his message was enough to believe in and follow because it rang true in every fiber of my being. Eventually I began to accept that the Resurrection was about fulfillment, completion and promise more than mystery. The reality and proof of the Resurrection became unimportant as the message began to dominate my appreciation of the event. This belief became an act of faith without reason as my faith seemed to age.

I wrote in October about the possibility that we focus too much on what we have and to little on who we are and where we belong in society. At one time I was firmly connected to a Catholic parish and a wonderful community of worshipers. It was torn asunder by the actions of a few in power and I found myself an outsider, alienated from a most important community; adrift from my place of worship.

It took many months before I ventured back to an organized place of worship and eventually found a home among other searchers; outcasts.

My belief structure changed as I made this journey and what had been of great importance seemed to shift and dissolve. I found myself searching for relationships and shared pursuits in my spiritual journey.

I have come to recognize that the practice of my faith is a journey on an unknown path; lacking definition and predictability.

Jesus did not found an institution, his followers did years later. Jesus did not tear down the institutions of his time, he cleansed the temple of profiters defiling his Father’s house. He did not use the existing institutions to deliver his message.

Jesus spoke to the downtrodden, the broken and shunned members of society; leppers with open soars. His message was clear: “Follow me” not build me a church. Jesus was about action and relationship not the accumulation of wealth and not adherence to rules and regulations. He had but two rules both based on love. His way was the communal way where property and possessions were shared. Among his followers there was no poverty there was respect and dignity.

The Catholic Church owns 177 million acres of land, Bill Gates 270 thousand, and McDonalds a mere 39 thousand to put the church’s holdings in perspective. The Warnock-Walker race spent a quarter of a billion dollars to end in another run off. The Citizens United decision has allowed millions upon millions to be spent on political challenges that are often meaningless as poverty soars and the middle class shrinks into oblivion. If Jesus were to come today who would be there to follow him? How would he view the vast holdings of the church institution? What would he say to an institution that is governed by a group of men who exclude rather an include; a group of men who cling to power and dictate rules that the faithful must follow.

It seems to me he might have to start all over.

This is the opinion of Times Writers Group member Peter Donohue, who has been involved in the arts in Central Minnesota for more than 35 years. His column is published the third Sunday of the month.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: If Jesus returned, would he have to start all over?