As the story goes…
Ambrose was a civil governor in the Italian city of Milan in the late 4th Century. During Ambrose’s time there was a big Christological (who is Jesus?) conflict within the church in Europe and northern Africa. It was between those who believed in the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and those who believed that the Son (Jesus) was not fully divine but created by and less than God. The Trinitarians were called Catholics and those with the other point of view were called Arians (after their top proponent Arius). As civil governor, Ambrose chastised the church for being so divided and told them to figure it out peacefully. As often happens, because he was the one that had the idea, someone said he should be the one to make sure it happened. “Ambrose for bishop!” someone yelled. Others joined in and the chant became deafening, “Ambrose for bishop!” Ambrose got out of the building as quickly as he could. He ended up going into hiding to keep from having to become bishop.
Why didn’t Ambrose want to become bishop? Well, first of all, remember that he already had a job—civil governor. The biggest reason, however, was that not only was he not an ordained priest (usually a prerequisite for bishop), but he wasn’t even baptized! Eventually he gave in to the pressure, feeling that just maybe it was God’s doing. So Ambrose had to be baptized, confirmed, and ordained in speedy fashion so he could become Bishop of Milan. He had absolutely no training whatsoever, yet he ended up becoming one of the best bishops ever!
One thing Ambrose is famous for is that he identified a young man who’d been headed in the wrong direction and then mentored him, preparing him for service to the Church. This young man was named Augustine, and he ended up being the most important Christian theologian after the New Testament. The other thing about Ambrose that sticks with me is that when the Goths began to overrun the Roman Empire, they began to kidnap people, threatening to kill them unless a ransom was paid. The families could not pay and the government refused, so Ambrose ordered that all the gold objects in the churches be melted down and used to pay the ransoms. He said, “It is a better thing to save souls for the Lord than to save treasures. He who sent forth his apostles without gold had not need of gold to form his Church. The Church possesses gold, not to hoard, but to scatter abroad and come to the aid of the unfortunate. Would not the Lord say to us: 'Why have you let so many needy perish of hunger? Since you had gold, you should provide for their needs'...Could we say: 'I feared to leave the temple of God without ornament.' But that which can't be bought with gold does not take its value from gold. The best way to use the gold of the Redeemer is for the redemption of those in peril.”
Amen, brother. Sometimes those who start out without a clue what they're doing end up being the best there's ever been.
