Peace and Justice Reflection

Our Polarized World

Brother Steve Herro, O. Praem.

Earlier this fall, I was visiting two pastors in northern Wisconsin and in the course of updating them on the need for some major damage control that had been dumped on me, one said, "Can't we all just get along?"  I reminded him that those were the exact words of Rodney King after the Los Angeles riots and police reaction.

Several weeks ago, one of the advisory committees in which I sit began a meeting with the Serenity Prayer.  The meeting chair invited us to contemporize the prayer by adding language appropriate to our current ministry challenges.   One of the members prayed that we could begin all conversations with varied groups by recognizing that which we held in common.

Though uncivilized voters were the subject of significant national press coverage at legislators' August  listening sessions on health care reform, I remember processing my shock and fear several months before, after attending March and April congressional listening sessions for two different Wisconsin congressmen.   Attendees spoke out of turn, cut others off, and spewed prejudice against immigrants and low income people; it was the most uncivilized behavior that I had ever witnessed before an elected official.

It was not ironic, it was providential, that I stumbled upon Fr.  Ron Rolheiser's article, "Polarized world needs a patron saint," in the November 20, 2009 Compass.   Fr. Rolheiser writes, "…In Church circles we are meant to hold ourselves to a higher standard: to meet viciousness with graciousness, anger with compassion, opposition with understanding, slander with no retaliation, intolerance with patience, and everything and everybody with charity.  For the most part, this isn't happening…." 

Pastor Jim Wallis wrote in his column, "The Urgency of civility," Sojourners, December 2009, "…I also get calls from people in churches who describe how the political warfare is creeping into their life together in the body of Christ.  Pastors are under attack for trying to preach on divisive issues such as health care or immigration reform.  I have even heard of some pastors fearing for their personal safety in the midst of such political rancor.  The church, which is supposed to help overcome the polarization of society, is instead being overcome by it…."

Several months ago, I led a few discussions entitled, "Fostering Common Ground & Peace-Building on Hot Button Social Issues."   Parishioners were tired of the nitpicking, name calling, and stone casting over issues like health care, immigration, and climate change.  Our groups concluded that we have a basis for the moral positions that we hold on such controversial issues; this basis is our tradition of Catholic social teaching.

We might not agree on the best economic measures to deliver health care, but it is when we examine the issue in the context of the priority of the life and dignity of the human person that we may make the most headway in our discussion.  We might not agree on how many immigrants should be allowed into the United States every year, but it is when we examine the issue in the context of the dignity of work and the rights of workers that we can make the most headway in our discussion.   We might not agree on the best means to cut carbon dioxide emission rates in the world, but when we examine the issue in the context of solidarity with the poorest people who are most dramatically affected by climate disasters, we can make the most headway in our discussion.

Fr. Rolheiser suggests that we look to Dorothy Day as a model to lead us beyond such division.  Calling her both, "…pious and liberal, a woman equally comfortable leading a peace march or leading the rosary.  She was also able to stand up for truth, for life, and for justice…"  And Pastor Wallis concludes,"…What is really at stake is our ability to find genuine solutions to our many challenging problems, instead of just increasing the volume against those who think we are to blame.  To find those solutions will likely require not one political faction winning over the others, but rather the collective wisdom, experience, and perspectives that our American diversity really offers us."

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