Charles Chaput and Strangers

Charles Chaput, the archbishop of Philadelphia, has published a book entitled "Strangers in a Strange Land."  The title is take off on a Robert Heinlein science fiction novel, "Stranger in a Strange Land."  But Chaput has a subtitle:  Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World.

Early in Chapter 1 he is writing about the state of our culture, and what we as Christians are to do about it.  He points at the writings of Tocqueville where he writes about the role of religion in democracies.  Chaput writes:

But religion only works its influence on democracy if people really believe what the religion teaches.  Nobody believes in God just because it's socially useful.  To put it in Catholic terms, Christianity is worthless as a leaven in society unless people actually believe in Jesus Christ, follow the Gospel, love the Church, and act like disciples.  If they don't, religion is just another form of self-medication.  And unfortunately, that's how many of us live out our Baptism.

As I read that this morning, I thought it particularly appropriate as today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and we are reminded not only of the Baptism of Jesus, by John, but also of our own Baptism.