position
There is constant talk of the “glue” that supposedly holds society and the church together. Albrecht von Croy thinks that is wrong. He would rather speak of the devotion that is urgently needed for the future of the church.
From Albrecht von Croy | Bonn – 14.05.2021
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Why, in God’s name, has the putty achieved such fame? A profane material has triumphantly found its way into almost every public speech, if it is about the state of our society and our church. The putty should always “hold” something together. And the question is always what the “glue” is with which a community becomes one.
The predictable answer: voluntary engagement of its citizens, voluntary work, commitment to the neighbor without remuneration, a social activity with no prospect of success or career. And then comes the eulogy: so much passion for the weak, poor and sick. “You are the putty!”
Really now: do you want to be “putty”? Do you want to plug holes as a passive adhesive? Do you want to act as a sealant for constructions that are not completely airtight? Do not you want! You want to actively shape the church and society with dedication, with passion, with originality and imagination, i.e. with devotion. All seemingly ancient terms that we have apparently lost. Nobody should “surrender”, nobody should “renounce”, nobody should “make sacrifices”, nobody should “give themselves away”.
“A community is not the sum of interests, but the sum of dedication,” says Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It takes the truly devoted to create the “house of glory”, our Church, from a gathering of believers. Passion is not enough. Surrender is more: it remains when the passion has already gone, it is lively, enriching, joyful and powerful. Surrender needs gratitude, then it’s clear, grounded, and intelligent. It demands sacrifices, sacrifices in terms of time, strength and mental composure.
An old Italian proverb knows: “Love, alms, devotion and patience are the four things that make a lay person a saint”. Volunteers know that what you do is less important than how you do it. That devotion is devotion and that is why it always allows healing. Surrender is not an ordinary material, surrender is a commitment. Volunteers don’t want to “glue”, they want to heal!
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