HOW WE CAN BE LEAVEN IN OUR CULTURE

 

HOW WE CAN BE LEAVEN IN OUR CULTURE

The elections have come and gone, and the “red wave,” that some hoped for, and others feared, did not materialize, although the U.S. Congress may change majorities, which is not certain at the writing of this article.  Either way, the issues that inspired people to go to the polls will not go away, but hopefully the lying, nasty rhetoric, and name-calling will go away.  What is certain is that the wave of problems besetting our country will not come to an end, and we will have to deal with them.  There are many important issues, and we ought to seek the best solutions to them.  But the greatest threat to the well-being and happiness of the American people, I believe, cannot be solved by political means.  There has to be a change in our culture.

The rejection of traditional moral values has resulted in many miserable lives.  Families are unstable and marriages are temporary.  Children feel lost and unwanted.  People doubt their own identity as male or female.  With decline in belief in God has also come decline in belief in natural law.  If there is no God, there is no order, and everything is haphazard.  Nature for us then is what we want it to be, regardless of the consequences.  The preoccupation with self-fulfillment makes us selfish and we lose respect for tradition, law, and authority.  Politics will not solve the fundamental problem in our culture, for the root cause is spiritual.  To help our culture we need to help people rediscover God and objective truth.    

How do we do this?  I suggest we do it by being more authentically Christian at home, at work, in the neighborhood, in school, or wherever we happen to be.  We need to stop biting our tongues!  Let us overcome our fear of standing out or of being criticized.  People pushing crazy ideas are not afraid to stand out, for example, men wearing women’s underwear and reading stories to children in public libraries.  Why are we afraid to show that we love God and believe that everyone was created in his image and likeness?  Why do we hide our fundamental beliefs from others?  We need to stop going along to get along.  Our silence is making things worse.   

We should not be afraid to be who we are.  In the Gospel this Sunday Jesus says, “They will seize you and persecute you…they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.  It will lead to your giving testimony.”  We might not be led before kings and governors, but we surely will encounter situations that will provide opportunities to give testimony.  Who are we benefitting by remaining silent? 

I am not talking about harassing people.  Rather, the good lives we live are a testimony.  They are not perfect, which we should readily admit, but the way we live gives witness to the value we place on our Catholic faith.  Let it be seen and heard!  For example, when talking about your weekend with co-workers, do you mention going to church?  Or what struck you in the weekend homily or the readings?    If the occasion permits, might you even invite someone to help you in a work of mercy, or to come with you to Mass and go out for brunch afterwards.

Sometimes good Christians hold back because they are not confident in talking about their faith.  But you don’t have to know all the answers.  Again, Jesus says, “Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.”  Realize that God is with you throughout the day, and he is ready to give you the words you need at the right time.  And if your mind goes blank, get some help, from a brother or sister in Christ, perhaps, or from a good Catholic online source, such as Catholic Answers, New Advent, EWTN, or the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

We might not think that we have something profound to say, but it just might be what someone needs to hear.  After all, we know from experience that “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1).  Why not share this truth with others, by letting them see it in the way you live, in the way you work, and in your conversation?