You wouldn't believe it, but Anne-Marie here, she walked in from Lexington,
Kentucky as well. They walked in, all three of them. Carrying twin boys. Well actually, the
two babies didn't walk in, technically. Anne-Marie, I know you have a question for Tim. Before I let you
ask that question, though, I just want to say thanks for naming the boys Cy and Tim. I appreciate that.
I was really excited to get that news. I bet your husband Ray is excited to
get that news too. What's your question for Tim? Absolutely, so my question is: how do--
you know, we have so many people in our lives,
friends--how do you balance loving someone versus calling them out, like
when you know that they're in the wrong, maybe? Yes, oh that's such a good question
and important question because, of course, two of the six spiritual works of mercy,
as we see in the Catechism of Catholic Church paragraph 2447, are admonishing
the sinner and educating the unlearned. So those are very important. We're going
to be judged by God as to whether or not we did these things, right? So I think
here's the key, two major points. Number one: there is no such thing as "This is
how you do it: step one, step two, step three," and then they convert. I wish
it would work that way, but it really doesn't. The key is, first and
foremost, I always point folks to James 1:5, that says: "If any man
lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives liberally and upbraideth not," in
other words, He will never say no. He will always give you wisdom if you ask for
it. Of course, I always point out the caveat here: often it takes time. Wisdom
comes through pain, it comes through experience and failure, but God will give
you wisdom over time. And the implication is, of course, you don't just ask once. We
have to continually ask God for wisdom, because wisdom helps us to be able to
know how to choose between goods; what's good, what's better, what's best.
That's what's so important about wisdom. Now, second point is: in the
situation you're talking about, you're the friend. And that is the most
important thing. We emphasize here--don't we a lot, Cy--that friendship-evangelism.
You know, my good friend Steve Ray will often say this: if you were to
meet a stranger on the street and you walk up to him and say, "Hey! How are your
kidneys?" He's gonna look at you like you're crazy and walk in the other
direction, "Get this guy away from me." But what if you got to know that guy, went
out for beers, you become friends, and a year later you hear he has some problems
with his kidneys. You walk up to him in the street and you say, "Hey, how are your
kidneys?" He says, "Oh, thanks for asking, man." Same words, same person, but what's the
difference? Friendship! So the fact that
you're friends and you know the person, that is an open door for you. But it
doesn't mean you come barging through, because friendship takes time and love
and openness, and that's why you pray to God for, "God, show me when the door is
open, so that I can share." Now it doesn't mean it's gonna work. Don't--we fall into
the error all the time of thinking, you know, we confuse faithfulness with
success, and of course, just because the person--if you feel like God's opened the
door and you share with them, "You know what, you're a little bit off
right here, let me let me explain why," and you do it in a loving way, you may get--
you know, hammered. Doesn't mean you messed up, you know. Because sometimes, of
course, even the best of us get crucified. Yeah, in fact, the very best of us got
crucified for speaking the truth, and that is Jesus Christ. But we have to, I
believe, Cy, on our side, do everything we can not to be jerks, alright? Jesus
never said "Blessed are the jerks." I did not see that in Matthew 5, "Blessed are
the jerks." But I do see "Blessed are the merciful." Right? And so if we have love
and we have mercy in our hearts, and this is understood as a spiritual work of
Mercy, and we share it when we believe God opens the door, let God take care of
the rest. Awesome, thank you. All right, God bless.
Thanks, Anne-Marie.