...when the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the Blessings on Joe and Saint Ellen! that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.
I greet as God's blessing the inauguration of a Catholic president of the United States. This man attends Sunday Mass and has not divorced any wives; his speeches are inspired by the Catholic faith and imagination. If he doesn't expect to reverse the world's predilection for abortion, neither do I expect that of him. "Politics," as Bismarck said, "is the art of the possible." If some Catholics would prefer that politics be different than that, they can quarrel with God about it.
Today's scripture readings invite us to ponder new beginnings. The fictional Jonah challenges the people of Nineveh to repent and, to his surprise, they do. Every one of them from king to cattle put on sackcloth and ashes, fast, and beg forgiveness. Saint Paul warns the first century Corinthians and the twenty-first century Americans that time is running out. If he saw it coming theologically, we can see it in the daily news. And finally, Jesus selects fishermen to join him in the Kingdom of God, which is destined to appear in the last days.
The month of January, the debacle of the former president’s term in office, and President Joe Biden’s inauguration invite us to consider this moment in history and where we choose to go from here. In January, in the United States, we also remember the 1973 Roe v Wade decision of the US Supreme Court. Abortion, racism, and climate change seem the three most important moral/political issues of our time. There are many others, I am sure, but it may not matter which of these anyone thinks is most important.
The larger question is how do we address our divisiveness. The invasion of the nation’s Capitol Building on January 6 – the traditional date of Epiphany – revealed an intense darkness in the soul of the nation. King Herod would have reveled in the familiar spectacle.
I have watched as these difficult discussions became more and more rancorous. I saw it happening, and was guilty of the same, in the 1970s, when I demonized people who supported the option of abortion. I have often encountered the issues of racism and climate change, and the face of denial on both issues. Despite my studied opinions, strong feelings, and sinful tendencies, I believe that nothing is accomplished by violence, vilification, or hostility. As much as I despise the practice of abortion, I am not willing to scrap the American Experiment in the effort to stop the killing.
As Christians we celebrate the hospitality of the Crucified Lord whose open arms are spread to everyone. We should contemplate his welcome and then greet others with the same open hearted generosity. Every opponent should be greeted with courtesy and respect. And every person should be welcomed with a warm, hospitable silence. “I will let you speak the truth as you know it to me. I will let you enter the personal space within my being and in my world. Although you might despise me, I will not despise you.”
If this courteous welcome is not the foundation of democracy, democracy is a sham. It is nothing more than a game played by people who bray about “freedom, equality, and fraternity” for their personal advantage.
Democracy is an experiment that can always fail; and can never succeed. It must be maintained with intense, deliberate attention. To take it for granted, or to suppose it can absorb a certain level of cynicism, is to plot its failure. I think some people promoted Mr. Trump for that reason; they believed the nation could endure his insane narcissism as they attempted to use him for their own ends. They believed the ends would justify the means – until January 6, 2021.
The invasion of the Capitol, we hope and pray, signaled the lowest point of a fifty-year decline in the American experiment. If we believe that democracy must succeed, we’ll close the gaps between us as we listen for God’s direction.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.