Why I Believe in “The Purple Cow”: Part 3

Most successful large organizations have a marketer. So who is the marketer for the Catholic Church?

You are. I am. A notion that is both empowering and terrifying.

In the business world there exist many memorable marketing figures that have shaped history with their vision and skill. Steve Jobs made computers more than just a tool of utility and left a legacy. Milton Glaser took a simple line, “I love NY,” and turned it into one of the most iconic images in the world. Walt Disney built an empire by tapping into every adult’s inner child.

The Church also has a list of memorable heroes, the saints.

The saints are ambassadors of the remarkableness of the Faith. Through the supernatural virtue and love they exhibit, they act as living proofs of a higher power and the authenticity of the Church. The life of a saint proves and explains far more about God and the Church’s teaching than any book or sermon.

As an agnostic I felt that I couldn’t in good conscience believe in God. I certainly wanted to, but I felt it would be intellectually dishonest to hold a belief that I couldn’t prove. At that time in my life there was only one thing that compelled me towards belief, although that thing wasn’t actually a “thing” at all. It was a person, Blessed Pope John Paul ll. In spite of my faith crisis I desperately wanted to be happy, and I couldn’t find anyone in the world who seemed to have as authentic of a joy as John Paul ll.  This is an awkward statement to make because I had never met the man, nor even come close to his physical presence, yet somehow his joy shined from a distance.

Apparently others felt the same way. John Paul ll’s funeral had an estimated television viewership of about 2 billion people, .7 billion more than all the Catholics in the world. I was one of those 2 billion. The event had a profound impact on me as I watched dignitaries and religious leaders from every corner of the globe (including Mohammad Khatami of Iran and Israeli President Moshe Katsav) coming together to pay respect to a man they disagreed with on many issues.

There is only a small group of individuals who are actively open to Church teaching or searching for the Truth. Fewer are the people who will go through life with no interaction or relationship with a professed Catholic. Each of us has been entrusted with individuals in our own sphere of influence. Although we may not be able to reach the masses we can maybe reach our next-door neighbor who no longer goes to mass.

The impact of answering this call is undeniable. Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta inspired every creed and color and put the spotlight on the Catholic Church. What would our country look like if the United States had ten Mother Theresas? What would our churches on Sunday look like?