COEXIST? No.

No doubt you’ve seen the bumper sticker that says:

“COEXIST.”

    Like similar words, “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” it sounds nice. But such slogans are purposely ambiguous and they blur the distinction between good and evil.
    The Woke Acolytes of Coexist expect us to surrender to their Godless, secular religion - and you can expect them to turn ugly if you see through their sham and object.
    So how do we navigate this "woke and politically correct (PC)," sometimes even hostile, environment? 

    For that, we have the example of Nicodemus, who appears several times in the Gospel of St. John.

1. Nicodemus is a Holy subversive against the cancel culture Elitists.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee in good standing...

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night.” (Jn. 3:1)

Nicodemus was thus a company man, a team player, and a cog in the wheel of the Pharisee ruling class.
So, he went to speak to Jesus on the sly, approaching Him in secret.
This way, he outwardly retained his membership in the elitist cancel-culture club.

2. Nicodemus is a model of respectful inquiry.

Nicodemus approaches Jesus softly, with honesty. He does not try to trap Him, or force Him with pushy tactics.

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.” (Jn. 3:2)

Jesus rewards his forthright truthfulness with a memorable revelation:

 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him is not condemned." (Jn. 3:16-18)

3. Nicodemus is our example of living for God’s law.

The Pharisees sent their officers to arrest Jesus, but they came back empty-handed.

“The officers then went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why did you not bring him?’ The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this man!’ The Pharisees answered them, ‘Are YOU led astray, you also?” (Jn. 7:45-48)

Nicodemus also defends Jesus— and the officers —by invoking Mosaic Law:

“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (Jn. 7:50-51)

The hatred for Jesus by the leading (cancel culture) Pharisees was so intense, however, they were willing to circumvent even the Law of Moses.

Sound familiar in our day?

They replied,

“Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will see that no prophet is to rise from Galilee.” (Jn. 7:52)

Exactly. The Messiah would come from Bethlehem. The Apostles, too, were “deplorable” Galileans, except for Judas, the lone Judean (Jerusalem) sophisticate among the Twelve.

4. Nicodemus exhibited courage when it mattered.

Although Nicodemus consulted with Jesus in secret, he revealed his discipleship at a shockingly visible time - at the foot of the Cross.

“Nicodemus …came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds’ weight. [Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea] took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.” (Jn. 19:39-40)

His feelings for Jesus, were evident in his reverence for Our Lord's battered body.

5. The Jewish leaders are intransigent in wickedness.
(Like today's woke, "coexisters")

During his initial secret encounter with Jesus, Nicodemus says,

“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

The admission hits like a thunderclap, because the ruling Pharisees hated Jesus so much, they rejected God Himself to kill Jesus.

The plan to murder Lazarus confirms their deranged hatred.

“When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.” (Jn.12:9-11)

The grand finale of their apostasy occurs when Pilate presents Jesus to the crowds, and the Jerusalem elites deny the primary truth of the Old Testament...

“Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’
The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’” (Jn. 19:15)

How would we respond to the denial of the Faith by a high level Churchman, today?  

However, Jesus knew what was coming when he told Nicodemus:

“...Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.” (Jn. 3:19:21)

6. The actions of Nicodemus provide lessons for today.

The "guerilla tactics" of Nicodemus are as relevant today as then...nothing is new under the sun.

Government and corporate jobs—almost without exception—have become politically correct and WOKE.
Without risking one’s job, it has become almost impossible assault the bureaucratic Godless-DEI religion.
Comparisons to the old Soviet Union are unavoidable.

Priests have an easier time proclaiming the truth than the laity (non-clergy faithful), and can speak freely from the pulpit... for now.
The worst the priest can expect is the loss of parishioners, reduced parish revenue, or the occasional rebuke of ecclesiastical authorities.
Unlike the laity, smothered by corporate and government political correctness, priests and bishops have no excuse for failing to teach the Gospel.

But neither do we, if we look to Nicodemus. 

Working from within today’s culture, like Nicodemus, we can be prudent and holy subversives for Christ...with a purpose.

We can be respectful in our inquiries, and lawful in mind and spirit.... with a purpose.

In this way, we can stay in the fight.
Because it IS a fight.

At the same time, we must also remember that we are only buying time this way.
Nicodemus did the same, then had his veil of secrecy lifted at the crucifixion of Jesus.
And sooner or later, we will have our own loyalties exposed - at which time WE are called forth to be a courageous witness to Christ..., and not the false pseudo-religions of our worldly culture.

COEXIST? No.
Like Nicodemus, be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Mt. 10:16)


Adapted from an article by Fr. Jerry Pokorsky, catholicculture.com