Service to man is service to God

I was listening to a great documentary* on Radio Netherlands on the First Hague Peace Conference of 1899. It was really a watershed moment in that really marked the birth of the field now known as international law. The body of law that deals with conduct of warring parties. Sine diplomacy and humanitarianism are two fields that greatly interest me, I found it a fascinating listen.

(*-part one here while part two is here)

In the documentary, one of the interviewees made references to a quote by Martin Luther which went, "What is it to serve God and to do His will? Nothing else than to show mercy to our neighbor. For it is our neighbor who needs our service; God in heaven needs it not."

I don't usually write about spiritual issues on this blog but my private morality obviously instructs my sociopolitical beliefs and actions.

I think this is a great quote. There is no need to serve God per se. If He's the all powerful, omniscient being, then he doesn't need our help. That's why a religious belief which is centered exclusively around prayer and Biblical study is of no value as far as I'm concerned. Religious belief must translate into action in order to be useful.

This always appealed to me. I was raised as a Roman Catholic. Maybe I was lucky that my local parish had some really good, inspirational priests but when I was growing up, they focused to a large degree on Christianity as it relates to helping others. I found great value in this. I've always identified with the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church, with the emphasis on helping those who most need it. I've donated many hours trying to help other people, not for recognition but because I found it meaningful and satisfying.

I've since become a non-practicing Catholic. Some refer to this concept as being a lapsed Catholic, but in my case that's no so. 'Lapsed' implies laziness, like I just don't get around to going to church because I'd rather sit and watch TV. In fact, my no longer going to church is a conscious choice which resulted from a great deal of thought and reflection. The Catholic Church has become so obsessed with private sexual morality that the social justice aspect seems to be an afterthought now. Maybe not an afterthought; I know the Church does a lot of good work in fields like humanitarian relief abroad and anti-poverty at home. And both the current and most recent former pope have spoken out on behalf of victims of war and against the current aggression against Iraq (comments which a lot of practicing American Catholics seemed to dismiss). But the disproportionate focus on homosexuality and masturbation and whether priests are chaste seems misdirected to say the least.

And since I always identified with the social justice aspects more (some of the teachings on sexual matters being downright silly), I've consciously drifted away from the formal Church. But I've kept my belief in social justice and helping others. I've come to believe, as a friend of mine pointed out to me, that organized religion is not about subservience to God but about subservience to HUMANS who proclaim to speak on behalf of God.

In this way, Luther is right. You can best serve God not by spreading hatred or encouraging violence against your fellow man; not by being vindictive or judgemental. You can best serve God by serving His creations.