When God said it was not good for his human to be alone he meant that we are social animals who need authority to enable us to work in unison.

Saturday, 5/29/15

In the Gospel Jesus disputed about authority with the Jewish leaders. Neither he nor they disputed the need to honor authority. They only questioned as to whether or not Jesus had authority from above.

Their dispute puts me in mind of a discussion I had on this subject with the young adult members of the parish choir. After a Saturday evening choir practice, we were all relaxing next to a swimming pool when the matter of obeying authority came up.  To express the Church’s view on authority, I quoted what St. Paul wrote in Romans, Chapter 13, verses 1 & 2.

“Let every person be subject to the higher authority, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God. 

“Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.”

I can still clearly recall one young lady’s voice as she said, “Well, I don’t believe that at all.” And, I remember others agreeing with her.

So, were they right?

I base my need for obedience to authority on something God said in Chapter Two of Genesis. When he had made his first human what he said was, It is not good for the man to be alone.”

We take that to mean that he saw a man’s need for a wife.

But it also meant that he created us as social animals who must act together. And for that, even when there are differences of opinions, we need someone to settle us on one course of action. I think  God was telling us to obey authority.