The Book

Excerpts from Becoming

The value of pursuing God in the midst of shame calls to mind the touching account of Bernadette Soubirous, a young peasant girl who later was beatified a saint in the Catholic Church. This young girl, having seen visions of a lady, was enraptured in the presence of God on many occasions. During one of those times, as curious and devout townspeople looked on, she claimed to have been directed by the angel of the Lord to a fountain that no one else saw. Bernadette washed her face in what appeared to others as dirt. People who were watching thought she was a lunatic. As the days ensued after that spectacle, people noticed a small spring at first, which eventually increased in size. Many people came to this site over the years that followed and were healed of their diseases. Later, as was directed by the woman in the vision, a chapel was built there in honor of our Lord Jesus, which is still attended.

The world would rather be entertained than see the reality of worship. People who desire only what is edifying to them don't want to see the opposite done, especially in service to an invisible God. Secular humanism promotes a self-centered philosophy: if it pleases me, then it is appropriate. If it does not suit me, it must be eliminated.

It is our nature to put ourselves first and to save ourselves when faced with the possibility of humiliation. But worship involves putting God first, whether or not one looks good during the experience. It is a process to get to the place where it matters not what people think, because your desire to be in communion with God outweighs everything else.