Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Lectionary: 666

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.

A recent essay in the New York Times -- I've lost the title and the author -- describes the Russian strategy for dealing with America. Russian propaganda does not try to persuade their own people that they are telling the truth. Rather, they argue that no one speaks the truth. Everyone is lying to you. Trump's methods and the constitutional crisis in the United States play perfectly into the Russian game. Their propaganda machinery -- newspapers, television, social media -- can say, "You see? The Americans are also deceiving you."

Putin's goal is power -- naked, pure, amoral power. I heard a newscaster ask a reporter, "How does Putin plan to perpetuate his power beyond his death?" 

The reporter replied, "He doesn't plan to die." 

There is no future in the game of power, for Trump or Putin. If we jury rig the voting system so that our party wins, we don't care what the consequences might be. We'll have the power to control whatever happens. 

In the meanwhile, "Nobody tells the truth." Did American put men on the moon in 1969? There are people who believe it never happened. How do they prove it didn't happen? You can't prove something never happened, so you don't answer that question. You only insist you won't believe it because everybody lies and you choose to believe whatever you want to believe. 

There is no truth. 

Is Trump a liar? Of course he is. But so is Hillary. And Bill, as everybody knows. And Obama. and Michelle! And the fake news of CNN and Fox. And Pope Francis. And Pope Benedict was forced to retire. And Saint John Paul II knew all about priest pedophilia and did nothing to stop it. 

Once you believe that, Putin has won. 

Many people do believe that. I meet them in my own family, among Knights of Columbus, and among the chaplains at the VA. 

If a civil society can be restored we should begin with the simple fact, It's not easy to tell the truth. When I am asked a hard question, I have to stop and think about it. I consider what I know, what I am sure of versus what I am not sure of. I consider those who asked the question and their understandings. Are they ready to hear what I might say? Are they hostile or friendly, suspicious or open-minded? How much time do I have to frame my response? If they only want a quick, yes-or-no answer there's no point in further conversation. 

My response to a peer will not be the same as I would speak to a small child. How well does this person understand anything? Do we share a similar educational background and philosophical beliefs? How do I answer someone with a very different worldview? How do I respond on social media, where every word can be misconstrued? 

I consider whether I trust this person and how far am I willing to extend my trust. There are limits. If I will speak the truth I will choose my words carefully. Sloppy, rushed, or unconsidered half-truths only make matters worse. Likewise, insulting and demeaning words will only antagonize them. If I don't respect my interlocutor, I should realize that and act accordingly, perhaps by retreating from the conversation.  

To speak the truth, we must love the truth. Both those who answer hard questions and those who ask them. Without that bond of love for the truth, there is no foundation for civility. A house built on sand must collapse. 

A democratic society is also built on a rock-solid love of Truth. The authors of the American Constitution recognized our endless struggle for power and they tried to create a government of balanced authorities. Power would be distributed among three branches of government. If any one branch gains too much power, the other two should take it down a notch to rebalance the system. But if the people -- that is, the electorate -- tire of the endless balancing, the system must collapse into tyranny. Because democracy is an experiment, it can never succeed; it can always fail.

Choosing to believe that no one tells the truth, and that authorities of every discipline are compromised by greed, avarice, or stupidity is at least as dishonest and irresponsible. Cynicism requires neither courage nor industry. Those who refuse to vote must still face the consequences of their choice, and of the choices they would not make. Their attitude is subject to God's Final Judgement.

As President Kennedy said, "The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing."

Christians and Catholics have been sent to represent God, whose name is Truth. Our credential must be our obedience to the commands of the Truth-made-flesh, "You shall love the truth with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength; and your neighbor as yourself." We begin each day in prayer with that resolution and ask God to reveal what we must do and how to do it.