Natural and Graced Virtues

I've a favorite book by Thomas H. Green, S.J., When the Well Runs Dry: Prayer Beyond the Beginnings (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 1998). Green's reflections can be helpful for many growing Christians, though obviously the book is written from a Catholic perspective. Recently I returned to the book as I felt spiritually "dry" myself, but before I got to those sections I found another section worth pondering.

Drawing on writings by St. Teresa, Green notes that our prayer life necessarily results in growth in faith, hope, and love; in greater love for God and one another; in love for our enemies as well as our friends. But he also distinguishes between natural and "graced" virtues: our natural qualities, and the qualities that are fruit of the Spirit.

These two kinds of virtues are easily confused! He writes that "[s]ome people are naturally cheerful, pliable, energetic, service-oriented. And others are naturally worrisome, stubborn... lethargic, hesitant to get involved. It is very tempting to categorize the first group as holy and the second group as spiritually mediocre." (pp. 72-73). But this is not at all necessarily the case! "[I]t is not the natural qualities of temperament and upbringing which are the marks of a genuine and solid spirituality. It is rather those qualities, those virtues (like a love of the cross) which transcend the natural and cannot be explained by any merely human formation" (p. 73).

He goes on to write about a person he directed, who was a difficult and overbearing personality, and about whom questions had been raised whether the person was genuinely spiritual. But Green found, in private counseling, that the person was very open to being guided and was genuinely growing in faith, hope, and love (pp. 74-75).

He continues, "If there are underlying signs of growing faith, hope, and love I would judge that the Spirit of God is at work, even though there are still many thorny (and highly visible) weeds in the garden of the Lord" (p. 75). He admits that he has personality traits and failings which have persisted for years but which he would consider inconsistent with his calling; and yet the Lord keeps deepening their relationship. "Instinctual failings and flaws of personality are not necessarily or automatically uprooted by a genuine spirituality," and a good example is the impatient Apostle Paul (p. 76).

The distinction between natural and "graced" virtues seems obvious, but as I think about it, we confuse these all the time. For instance, a parishioner might complain that the church's pastor "isn't spiritual" when the matter is simply a personality difference, nothing to do with the pastor's heart. I felt very annoyed at a person at our church who left the congregation because she thought the pastor wasn't spiritual enough, when the actual problem was (in my opinion) that she liked the previous pastor's style. 

Another time, my parents came home from an errand one day and commented how huffy and impatient a local pastor had been as he waited in a long line at the bank. What kind of Christian is he? was the implication. That's the kind of judgmental nonsense that pastors have to endure---but isn't it human nature to make such judgments! I've done it too, although I do limit my venting to the privacy of my home, to avoid talking about people behind their backs in public.  (That's still being judgmental, of course.)

It's easy to make superficial assessments of people, both positive and negative. I've noticed that some folk are very articulate about faith-matters, have significant ideas, and speak in a very loving manner. Unfortunately, sometimes those same people are unreliable at carrying out certain tasks, or they're unreliable as friends, terrible at giving favors, are alarmingly lacking in self-awareness, and so on. But on first acquaintance, such folk are often judged as SO spiritual (and, of course, they may very well be, in terms of growing in "graced virtues," but you don't know).

Now, on the other hand, they very well may not be spiritual at all! That's the tricky thing. The Bible does warn us that we can go through the trappings, rituals and proper articulation of religious faith but be empty inside.  

Some folks are challenging in the opposite way: they're so "into" their vision and passion to do good, that they've difficult personalities! I noticed this article about the recently deceased Steve Jobs and his similarities with notable saints, none of whom were people who'd necessarily like to be around.
http://www.religionnews.com/index.php?/rnstext/epitaph_for_steve_jobs_too_great_to_be_good/

Although it's human nature to make judgments about people (and also to feel disappointed in God when other people let us down), this distinction between natural and graced virtues might help us be less critical about the quality of other people's faith.  We can grow in compassion and intercessory prayer. We can understand more clearly that the personality weakness and the failings of other people do not mean that God has let you down. A fellow Christian may annoy you (he gives you unhelpful advice; he throws Scripture at you instead of listening; she isn't "there for you; he or she has a serious moral failing, etc.). A pastor may be off-putting for whatever reason. But none of these things necessarily mean such folk are spiritual phonies; they're just flawed like you and me.

The distinction has helped me see ways to be more accepting of others and also more accepting of myself. I tend to beat up on myself because, like Fr. Green, I see personality traits, anxieties, failings, and other things about myself. I've made progress on all these over the years (including the mediocre self-acceptance), but they very much remain. Of course, as we all go about our lives, we also discover new things about ourselves---people and situations that hurt us more than we realized. Progress sometimes seems like "baby steps" regarding our old hurts, half-forgotten wounds, and personality imperfections.

But God does not give up on us! As long as we live, God works in our lives to help us grow in faith, hope, love, and the fruit of the Spirit, no matter what.