Views from the Door of St Joseph's
Skip at 16:07 omits analogy to 9/11
This morning, it would be nearly impossible to ignore or escape
The
mood in our country.
Especially
here on Capitol Hill.
Right
now, right outside our church door.
We
have streets barricaded with army trucks.
Ten-foot-high
temporary steel fences cutting off streets and buildings.
Heavily
armed police officers and soldiers
Stationed
every few yards along the perimeter.
All
that on top of a denied pandemic with 400,000 dead so far.
Have
we hit rock bottom?
Today’s
scene is reminiscent of 9/11, twenty years ago.
We
had the barricades and soldiers in our streets.
We
had a terrorist killing people by sending anthrax in the mail.
We
had the shock, and the uncertainty, and the fear.
Back
then, at least we had an external enemy to blame.
Someone
we could unify against and rally against.
A
cult leader in a distant land.
Now
we have only our own countrymen to blame and fear.
We’re
brothers and sisters wedged apart by rhetoric and lies.
And
home-grown cults.
Misled
by unworthy leaders in government, and media,
And
public opinion, and even religion.
Leaders
who distort the truth, spin the facts, some who flat out lie.
We
have people happy—eager—to embrace the clear lies.
So
long as they fit nicely with their own prejudices.
We
have members of our government receiving death threats.
Fearing
that even their colleagues might turn them over to the mob.
It
seems that truth and honor have been abandoned.
I
certainly hope this is rock bottom.
And
that things can only get better from here.
That
despite the disillusionment, we can all find our way to the Truth.
We
have reason to hope, to be optimistic.
We’re
ready to turn over a new page as a nation.
We’re
at a natural four-year break point, a chance for a fresh start.
We
have a new administration starting this week.
One
that has promised to make unifying the nation a top priority.
Many
leaders are saying they’ve seen the terrible costs of division.
That
it’s time to move forward in unity.
But
can they? Will they?
Thank
God, we already have one completely trustworthy leader.
One
who has shown us the way to the truth.
One
who has laid out instructions for living a happy communal life.
A
leader who is, himself, the Way the Truth and the Life.
How
did we come to know Him?
Why
do we trust Him?
Why
do we follow Him?
Because
at some time, someone pointed Him out to us.
Much
as John the Baptist pointed Him out to Andrew.
And
Andrew pointed Him out to Peter.
After
he was pointed out to us, we eventually decided to look deeper.
Like
Andrew, we followed along for a bit,
Until
one day Jesus turned to us and asked what we were looking for.
And
invited us to come closer, to get to know Him,
To
learn from Him, to follow Him.
Now,
at this time of our nation’s deep despair,
We
can’t rely on our mere mortal leaders to bring unity and peace.
Even
if they make their best efforts, they can’t do it alone.
It
will take all of us.
And
we can help lead the way to ultimate happiness and peace,
By
striving to model the behavior Jesus taught us.
By
loving our neighbors as ourselves.
By
forgiving our brother seventy times seventy times.
By
loving even our enemies.
By
being the blessed peacemakers.
Could
that actually work?
Well,
it is what Jesus taught us to do.
It
certainly won’t be easy for us.
Words
alone won’t bring us all together.
We
won’t convince everyone with our fine logic.
We
all know that we’re right and the other guy is wrong.
We’ll
still have disagreements.
But
if we can forgive each other for real or imagined wrongs,
If
we can apply fraternal correction with basic respect and love,
If
we try to atone for any wrongs we’ve ourselves have committed,
We
can move forward, and unity and peace will grow.
If
we can do all that, we’ll help lead our country to a bright future.
And
we’ll do even more.
We’ll
be like John the Baptist and Andrew,
And
like that person who pointed Jesus out to us.
Through
our actions,
We’ll
be that someone pointing Jesus out to others.
That
evangelist drawing another follower to Jesus.
Enlisting
another ally to help build the kingdom of God on earth.
