Christians are weird: Homily for Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Christians are weird. The speak about Jesus despite personal risk to themselves. They are sent to prison and they sing songs, and continue to talk about Jesus. They convert the prison guards. In a world where the stranger is increasingly persecuted, and Christians reach out to help. Readings for Today.

Christians are weird

There’s something weird about these Christians. They share their faith even when they get beaten up. They become imprisoned and they sing religious songs and hymns. They provide such a witness that the jailer in a prison is able to believe. In the gospel, the departure of Jesus, a sad event indeed, is seen as joyful. Everything gets turned upside down when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus.

The hard part, of course, is imagining ourselves doing similar things. Now, I’m not suggesting we go down to 16th Street and stir up some trouble so we can be like Paul. But at the same time, there are instances where I think people of this world should look at us and be filled with the same kind of, “Gosh, they’re weird.”

They help the poor, even when the poor can’t do anything to help them. They go around and tell people that they are lovable, even when it doesn’t seem that they are. They visit people in prison. And as that great film by Sister Helen Prejean taught us, even people that don’t appreciate their visit and seem to be unredeemed by any of it. Christians are a weird lot indeed. So why would anyone be a Christian if this seems so weird, that the things that we do and what we believe?

Well, Jesus tells us something very important in the gospel. Because we have the fullness of the revelation of God. Now, we can’t understand the fullness of revelation, but we have seen the Father, the Son, and then the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. And it’s better for us that Jesus goes, because it introduces us in a very meaningful and real way to the Holy Spirit.

We understand even just a little bit more what it means to love God. And from that love and by that love, we are able to, in our own lives, love our neighbor. You know, it’s not always easy to love our neighbor. Just ask my brothers in community. It’s not always easy to love me. It’s hard, difficult, challenging. But I suspect the same is true in your life. Not about loving me, although it’s probably pretty difficult for you too. But, about loving those with whom you live. Family. Relatives.

You know, I was just saying the other day that, you know, there’s a kind of a popular image that heaven will be like one giant family reunion. I can’t think of anything worse. I mean, I love my family, I love my relatives, but I also like to go.

It’s also the case that maybe there are others that are difficult to love. Maybe our actual neighbors. You know, it was Robert Frost who said, “A fence is a good neighbor.” But how could they do this? How is it that Paul could be so calm in the midst of all of this craziness?

Because of the Advocate. The Advocate that we await. The Holy Spirit that fills our hearts and our lives and enables us to do more than we thought we could possibly do. And so today, maybe you won’t wind up chained in prison, at least let’s hope not. But we still have the same thing to do. By our witness, by the way in which we live our lives, by how we love Jesus, may we bring others to that same love. to that same love.

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