Have you ever noticed that our culture seems captivated by making lists? We like lists. Some make "to-do" lists, shopping lists and then there's Celebrity lists, "who's who" lists, lists of the wealthy, debtors lists, court lists where in Ireland (at least) the peculiar interest is not so much the crime, but that you got "caught."
We have annual lists of the "Most Powerful People" Celebrity magazines offer us lists of "Best, Worst, and Least Dressed." Then to get complicated, lists are divided by age and gender e.g. "fifty most powerful men/women in business under/above 40." We have lists of schools, ranked by some dubious grading system.
Our classical catechisms cottoned on to this fascination with lists -- sacraments, commandments, deadly sins, cardinal virtues, minor virtues and even types of angels. More strangely you'll find internet "the good parish guide" lists. One intriguing list was "The least embarrassing Christian" with Archbishop Desmond Tutu topping the poll. Where would we be placed – if at all.
I wonder if we'd make it on the Faith 500 list. Ultimately it's faith not financial funds that matter, and we best understand faith as a verb. Faith is not something that one acquires or earns. Our biblical superstars and each of us is called to faith shown our way through life.
When it come to the biblically based list of fruits of the Holy Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, self-control – how do we rate.
(Comments to Tom at tomascox@eircom.net )