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POLITICS AND PRINCIPLES
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This essay will be a “political” one—but of course the word describes life in the Church as well as life in our country. In both cases, sadly, we are very divided. I want to reflect on this reality in the light of a couple of quotes I’ve gleaned from Marx.
Got you—right?! I meant Groucho Marx!
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.
Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them…well I have others.
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.
These quotes apply all too well to life in the Church as well as life in our country. What is the cure (short of telling our “opposition” to cede all its points)?
It seems to me that job one is actually analyzing my/our own principles to see the extent to which they really are “principles”—statements that truly describe and regulate how I believe and act. Next, one must clearly analyze the reality we live in, to see which problems are found in our lives and not just in our imaginations. Third, we must apply our principles to modes of “cure” for those problems. Finally (and here’s the sticking point), we must listen to those who have differing principles and differing analyses of the problems, who offer differing “cures,” to see how we can both grow in our understanding. The bottom line, though, is that we must be clear about the fact of our principles, why we hold them, and why others might disagree with them without malice toward ourselves (nor we, toward them). This process is precisely what is lacking now in our political lives and lives in our Church. We are far too willing to assume bad faith and incompetency in our “opponents,” and to think of ourselves as the only harbingers of right perspective.
This leads us to a dangerous deadlock—a mentality of “100% my way or nothing.” “Unconditional surrender” may have worked in World War II, but it’s the death-knell for our country, politically, and for our Church, religiously. I am concerned for the former; I am far more focused on the latter. What is required is that speakers articulate clearly and honestly (based on genuine principles); listeners hear openly and without prejudice (again, based on genuine principles); and then, dialogue (perhaps Pope Francis’ most important word) can occur to take steps forward. I may want to take 10 steps forward, but if I can take two, it is better than taking none at all. We don’t need folks who think that by faking they “have it made.”
Can the remainder of this Lent be a chance for us to examine and articulate and embrace our true principles? Perhaps it can also be a time for us to choose to listen (rather than simply react to) the principles and perspectives of others. The common good of our country, and the health of our Church, is at stake. We may not see things 100% in the same light; that doesn’t mean we are fundamentally opposed. Our Church, and our nation, need more of us than hearts that are closed. We need them open, together, to the Holy Spirit.
