HARMLESS FUN?

Last night I heard a priest on TV making light of consuming quatntities of "wine" and having to eat lots of "bread"at the end of the Eucharist and my heart was saddened. Surely priests, of all people, should revere the gifts entrusted to us lest we are unworthy of the Giver. She might think it was just a 'joke', but others will see we don't care if fun is made of the faith - and cold be forgiven for thinking they can do the same.

Perhaps I am overly sensitive, but I find the way people use that which is holy in a cavilier way, or who take the Holy Name of Jesus Christ in vain, to be - blasphemous. I realise there are many other - perhaps more important - matters of concern on the media, but I'm reminded that Jesus said: "Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you." (Matthew 7.6).

It's easy to consider such things 'a bit of harmless fun', or to say that worse things are said in theological college Common Rooms.  But what's said in the privacy of such a place is one thing; what is said via public broadcasting quite another.