Drama, drama, drama

So I don't like patristic theology. Or at least, Gregory of Nazianzus has not, since first year, begun to suddenly inspire me. I don't mind reading him on the beach, but I'm looking forward to moving on with my foray into understanding the Trinity.

But what I did like about this book of his I'm reading is the introduction. It's pretty much all about what a drama queen Gregory was--always complaining about how sick he was, whining about his theological opponents more than necessary, always the victim. You know it has to be bad if the translator says that. This is a guy whose life is devoted to reading and re-communicating this stuff. His descriptions of Gregory made me laugh out loud.

It shouldn't have been a surprise when, sometime after reading the introduction, I flipped back to the cover and read the author's name: St. Gregory of Nazianzus. But it suddenly clicked that this whiny drama queen was a saint. The thought appealed to me for how it seems to lower the qualifications for sainthood. Sometimes, when you know the future leaders of the church as people, it's hard to think of them (of us) with all their drama and issues as saints. And sometimes, when you know the future leaders of the church as people, they impress you so much that you think you'll never be as good as them. But Gregory the whiny drama queen got to be a saint. He got to be a part of making the church what it was. And so do we. And all we can do is know that God works through and with the drama, just like God has always done.