February 25, 2006

Lots

St Matthias, the Also-Ran, had his symbolic fifteen minutes of fame on the calendar  yesterday. He’s the one the Apostles-Minus-One elected by casting lots to fill their ranks after Judas copped out. I don’t think I’ve ever run into anybody named Matthias or, for that matter, heard much else about him. Getting appointed the way he did, it is well, I suppose, that neither did Matthias ever hear of Einstein’s “relatively” certain assertion  that God doesn’t shoot dice.

I have to admire him on the face of it, though, for even if he did get in sort of as a petitionary candidate, filling in for Judas was probably not the easiest route to apostolic success. He anyhow had earlier credentials than Paul who came along later the hard way through a glass darkly and who often seemed a bit insecure and defensive about how valid were his own. 

The apostolic order, however, may be one of the better plans to come out of the early church, even if it has sort of been downhill ever since. Our bishops (aka overseers) are pretty much what these days we substitute instead. When you think about it, it’s still sort of a gamble the ways we choose them. In the long run, not many of them seem so aggressive or, as it is sometimes said, full of the spirit, but they do most of them make a pretty good impression so long as they don’t say too much. 

It would be good, however, if once in a while a bishop or even a house full of them  instead of being so preoccupied with what folk do in their private time would stand up and say “Enough!” about the way the church insists so often on pandering to the frequently less than relevant. Even the world then might take notice, but don’t cast lots on it.

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