Who Do You Trust?

Who do you trust?

That’s the name of a gameshow from the early days of TV, way back in the 1950’s.

Johnny Carson’s first big hit.

But that question goes back a lot further than the ‘50s.

People have been asking that for as long as there have been people.

Asking each other and, even more importantly, asking themselves.

The radio talk show bloviators have been screaming for years that we can’t trust anybody.

Except them.

And unfortunately, far too many people listen to them and believe them.

Buying in to the paranoia and fear and bigotry and hatred that they peddle.

This election year all the candidates are telling us we can’t trust the other candidates.

The other guys are all liars—or maybe just fools.

Hacks bought and paid for by the special interests they’ll serve.

One campaign manager said, We’ve got to get our supporters angry enough to get out and vote.

He said that rather casually, in passing.

But it was a moment of revelation for me.

Of course I knew that the talk show guys had their ideologies and their political views.

And they wanted to spread distrust of anyone who thought differently.

Smear them, destroy them if they could.

But this campaign manager’s passing statement showed me why they’re tolerated.

Why these hate-mongers and fear-mongers aren’t soundly denounced by all leaders.

It turns out, they’re not just serving their own egos and bank accounts.

They’re not just working to promote and spread their ideologies.

They’re direct players in the get-out-the-vote effort.

They’re keeping the rabble stirred up, making sure their listeners stay angry.

Angry every day, for years.

So angry and distrustful and afraid, that they wouldn’t think of

Passing up the opportunity to get out and vote against the candidate they hate.

That anger is not good for us.

Just the other day our Gospel told how Jesus urges us to reconcile with others.

Whoever is angry with his brother is liable to judgement.

If you bring your gift to the altar and there recall that your brother has something against you,

Go first and reconcile, then come and offer your gift.

It’s true that we can’t always trust everybody.

Last week we heard the Gospel passage where Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the desert.

Jesus was right not to trust him.

But not everyone is a Satan.

Discretion is needed, but our pendulum has swung far too deep into the mistrust zone.

I guess I’m showing some of my own us/them mistrust and paranoia. 

I’ve got a touch of it myself, at least against the radio guys.

And the politicians and candidates I disagree with most.

The mistrust and polarization is contagious.

It spreads and infects all our relationships throughout our whole society.

Our country’s motto is In God We Trust.

It’s written on our coins and bills.

The humorist Jean Shepherd, who wrote that show we see every December, A Christmas Story,

Also wrote a book titled, In God We Trust—All Others Pay Cash.

We have a lot of clever sayings like that title.

Slogans that are attractive because they’re short and clever and witty.

And they contain an element of truth.

But they intentionally overstate their point, that’s part of their humor.

Of course we should trust in God.

But we should surely be able to stretch our trust at least a bit beyond that.

We don’t need to make all others pay cash.

In fact, we might be a lot happier if we decide to hold back on the mistrust.

Give a reasonable degree of trust to others until they show that it’s not deserved.

If necessary, we can use the approach that Ronald Regan made famous in dealing with Russia.

Trust, but verify.

In God We Trust—he’s given us assurances throughout human history.

In today’s First Reading from Genesis, Abram takes a chance on trusting God.

And God rewards him with a sign. 

The sign of the covenant that began then and continues today with the Jewish People.

In our Gospel, the disciples are taking a chance on Jesus.

They believe him, they trust him, they’ve already seen signs.

But you can bet they were greatly reassured when they saw Moses and Elijah with Jesus.

And saw Jesus transfigured.

And when they heard the voice of God from Heaven say

This is my son, listen to him.

So who do you trust?

Nobody is not a good answer.

As the voice from Heaven said, Listen to [Jesus.]

And Jesus tells us: 

Reconcile with your brother.

Love your neighbor.

Love your enemy.

We can start by trusting them to be decent human beings like ourselves.

Listening to them, trying to understand their point of view.

Holding off from the temptation to quickly ridicule or vilify them for their opinions.

Setting an example of tolerance and understanding.

It’s going to take time to turn the mood of this country around.

The mood of this world.

But it can be done by reconciling with our brothers and sisters.

By building a sense of mutual trust.

That’s a big part of the job of building the kingdom of Heaven on Earth.

And today, we’re the ones God is calling to that task.

2nd Sunday of Lent
Lk 9:28-36     Read this Scripture @usccb.org

Tradition

The Jews were big on tradition.

And that can be a good thing.

Tradition helps to preserve and pass down important values.

And ritual guides the specific practices associated with the tradition.

We Americans are big on some traditions too.

Our tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving Day is one example.

We do it every year at the same time.

Commemorating the Pilgrim’s celebration of their survival at Plymouth.

Thanking God.

And thanking their neighbors—the Indians—who helped them survive.

We have the tradition of the extended family meal.

There’s a combination of tradition and ritual in how it is prepared.

Who makes which dishes; whose recipes they follow.

The tradition has changed over the years.

With families spread all over the country today, 

Some of us can’t make it to that family meal.

Some of us don’t have family.

But even if we don’t observe it, 

We’re all familiar with that Thanksgiving tradition.

The Indians and Pilgrims didn’t have TV 

Or play football at that first Thanksgiving feast.

But the American tradition has changed to incorporate watching football.

And we’ve added Macy’s parade.

For many, getting a jump on Christmas shopping is now part of the tradition.

(Christmas celebration—there’s another American tradition we could talk about.)

Really, for most Americans,

The original meaning of the Thanksgiving tradition has been lost.

Most know the history.

They might be able to tell you about the Pilgrims’ celebration.

But giving special thanks to God is a minor part, if any part at all, 

Of modern Thanksgiving Day.

These are the kinds of traditions that Jesus ignored.

And criticized in today’s Gospel.

Traditions like the ritual washings.

Which might have begun with a worthy purpose—

Like helping draw people nearer to God.

But over the years lost their original purpose.

The Pharisees and the people focused too intently 

On their rules and rituals for the traditions.

Eventually, observance of those rules and rituals became the ultimate goal.

Even when those rules and rituals had no significant relation to God.

Even when their man-made rule contradicted God’s commandment.

Today is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras.

Another traditional celebration.

Not directly religious, but with a once-strong association to Lent.

As we move into Lent this week, 

It’s a good time to assess our traditions and rituals.

Do I see a benefit from a particular tradition or ritual?

Could it draw me closer to God, or to my family or to my fellow man?

Is it neutral?

Is it perhaps even bad for me?

What changes should I make?

5th Tuesday Ordinary Time
Mardi Gras

Mk 7:1-13     Read this Scripture @usccb.org