There are two catchphrases of college culture (although not limited to it) that dominate students’ mentality, “I don’t care what others think of me” and “I don’t give a f***.” I can’t stand hearing these things because they express a mentality deeply rooted in the culture of individualism and the culture of “meh.” The funny thing is, though, is that they have a deeper root, which is the Christian martyr mentality.
The Christian martyrs in all times and places perplexed the world around them, because they accepted their deaths with dignity, purpose, honor, bravery, and even glory. One of my favorite examples is St. Lawrence, who was grilled to death, and while he was on the flames told them, “Turn me over I’m done on this side.” When Christians were thrown to the beasts in the Colosseum to be ripped to shreds, they were often times the ones laughing at the Romans.
The Christian martyrs in all times and places perplexed the world around them, because they accepted their deaths with dignity, purpose, honor, bravery, and even glory. One of my favorite examples is St. Lawrence, who was grilled to death, and while he was on the flames told them, “Turn me over I’m done on this side.” When Christians were thrown to the beasts in the Colosseum to be ripped to shreds, they were often times the ones laughing at the Romans.
So what’s the deal with Christian martyrdom? It comes down to love of Christ. For the martyrs, nothing could separate them from their faith, that is, being in relationship with Jesus. Nothing was worth more than that. They clung to God’s Truth and Love so firmly that they were able to detach themselves from worldly concerns that normally dominate our lives: how do I look, what do they think of me, will I get in trouble for saying this… When the world around them reacted so violently to their testimony to the Christ’s death and resurrection that they were sent to their deaths, not even the fear of pain or death affected them anymore because they were so wrapped up in God’s eternal love, and so they accepted their martyrdom willingly as the most powerful witness to the Truth. They died for the sake of Christ, the king of martyrs, who died for the sake of the world, and for the sake of his Church, the Catholic Church, so that others might be inspired to enter into that same life of perfect love.
As inadequate as that was at explaining Christian martyrdom, lets get back to our modern phrases. Essentially, they are expressions of a false Christian martyr mentality. “I don’t care what others think of me.” That’s a strong statement to a world that certainly wants you to care what it thinks of you. It proclaims your detachment from worldly concerns. The problem is that its root is individualism, which is not transcendent at all the way Catholic Christianity is.
Catholicism accepts you just the way you are, but calls you forward toward perfection. To say I’m perfect just the way I am is a glaring denial of my countless shortcomings in how I live out my life. It leaves me no room for improvement, no way to grow and become even better, and that is not living, that is not freedom if I put that limit on the possibility of loving even more deeply. When it comes down to it, the modern individualistic expression is a copout that let’s me be exactly how I am without having to make an effort to be greater, to try harder, to love deeper.
Catholicism accepts you just the way you are, but calls you forward toward perfection. To say I’m perfect just the way I am is a glaring denial of my countless shortcomings in how I live out my life. It leaves me no room for improvement, no way to grow and become even better, and that is not living, that is not freedom if I put that limit on the possibility of loving even more deeply. When it comes down to it, the modern individualistic expression is a copout that let’s me be exactly how I am without having to make an effort to be greater, to try harder, to love deeper.
“I don’t give a f***.” Saying that drives a person nuts who really wants you to care. Again, not at all the way Catholicism sees detachment. Catholicism cares, a lot. The Christian martyrs cared, a lot, just not about their own bodily comforts, but rather the love of God. The modern mentality of “I don’t give a f***,” is so dull, apathetic, and boring. It is truly the opposite of love. It plunges itself into the tiny, dark, lonely world of me, me, me. Love is to will the Good of the other and to do something about it; by its nature Love cannot be self-concerned, but involves reaching to someone other than myself. This saying is also a copout like the first one, it allows me to be the dullest, flattest, least dynamic person ever, and masks it as the defiance of St. Lawrence. It denies my purpose, my ultimate end, and once again denies my ability to love. It lets me get away with everything and accomplish nothing.
So we as Christians need to learn a thing or two from our martyrs about true detachment. Are we witnessing to the Truth in our detachment, or glorifying self-serving individualism and “meh”? Are we allowing the world to get away with twisting the most powerful witness there is, martyring itself for the dull, boring, and flat? Or are we calling it through Beauty, Truth, and Goodness to transcend into the life wrapped completely in the love of God? Are we wrapped up so much in the love of God that we are ready to witness to the truth of Christ crucified and resurrected like the true martyrs?
So we as Christians need to learn a thing or two from our martyrs about true detachment. Are we witnessing to the Truth in our detachment, or glorifying self-serving individualism and “meh”? Are we allowing the world to get away with twisting the most powerful witness there is, martyring itself for the dull, boring, and flat? Or are we calling it through Beauty, Truth, and Goodness to transcend into the life wrapped completely in the love of God? Are we wrapped up so much in the love of God that we are ready to witness to the truth of Christ crucified and resurrected like the true martyrs?
Written by:
Marty Arlinghaus
Marty Arlinghaus