In case you were wondering why the bulletin cover has an image of Abraham Lincoln this week, it is a call out to a speech given almost to the day, 166 years ago (on June 16), when Abraham Lincoln accepted his nomination to run for the US Senate. In the speech, he quoted the words of Jesus found in this weekend's gospel, "If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand." (Mark 3:25).

These days, it is frequent observation made by anyone with a microphone to say, "Our country is so divided." But from that moment onward, the conversation takes a turn based on whose side you are on and then blame is usually cast on the opposing side.

in trying to be a responsible pastoral leader within the Catholic Church, I have an assumed pledge of neutrality to partisanship, but that does not suggest a neutrality to principles. Within my principles, I believe that our nation can stand even as we disagree in much the same way that a human joint, even the very joints that allow us to stand, can only function when there are opposing muscle groups. 

Together, the opposing action of different muscles provide a joint the agility to move back and forth as needed. But a joint isn't successful just because it has opposition, nor are we as a country successful just because there are differing points of view. The tension of a joint is held together by it's ligaments. The tension of the opposing sides of a nation is held together by its principles and those principles effect the way the members of that nation engage with one another in public dialogue. 

A starting point might be to repropagate the fundamental belief that all life is gifted with pristine dignity by God, our creator. Thus, even if i disagree with someone's point of view, it is a sin against God to call that person, "vermin," "scum," or "maggot," and any host of names that populate my search engine when I query about recent terms used by politicians about their political rivals. This includes a whole host of epitaphs that I won't even put into print regarding derogatory names for ethnic groups, genders, and sexual orientations. 

What may be harder, but even more necessary, is for us to also speak out and against the language and terms that are said in our presence that tear at the fabric of human dignity. Personally, it is a litmus test for my personal voting, even if I agree with their policies, that I won't vote for a candidate that doesn't show respect for other human beings through the words that they use. I write the campaigns of candidates to let them know this. 

A more influential maneuver would be to remind our friends and associates what respect for human dignity looks like. Knowing that it can be hard to disagree with colleagues, friends and family, I suggest starting tense conversations with your agreements and then move toward the more challenging part of expressing a considers. I sample of this kind of dialogue would be, "Look, I agree with Mr./Ms. _______'s policies and with you too, but I refuse to call Democrats/Republican's ___[insert divisive term here]_____. That violates the dignity God has given all of us."

If we were merely advocates for human dignity in all of our interactions, the collective results upon our nation's divisions would be tremendously positive. But for those who want a more saintly challenge, I'd invite us to consider putting into practice a presupposition articulated by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

He writes:  

“… it should be presupposed that every good Christian ought to be more eager to put a good interpretation on a neighbor’s statement than to condemn it. Further, if one cannot interpret it favorably, one should ask how the other means it. If the meaning is wrong, one should correct the person with love; if this is not enough, one should search out every  appropriate means through which, by understanding the statement in a good way, it may be saved.” 

I beg us to considered for a moment what it might look like if rather than accepting and accelerating the divisions that we are asked to corroborate, we actively seek to understand the point of view of our opposition? What if, like Ignatius, we were to spend the effort to give every good possible interpretation to those with whom we disagree?

My wondering is one that gives me hope, and that feels more like God's will than the constant energy of tearing others down, dehumanizing them, and encountering great personal dissonance just to appear as if I'm right. As I imagine a world where we put these steps into practice, I can again believe in an America that lives up to its values and world that reflects the love and compassion of God. 

But I feel despair as I imagine the possibility of us continuing to tear one another down and the never-ending thirst for dominating over others. It leads to a world where our house will remain perpetually divided. As Jesus reminds us in the Gospel, and echoed by Abraham Lincoln as well, if we continue in this division, we will not stand. 

Ackermann Playlot Playdates 

Come check in with your friends this summer.  There will be an informal meet up for families on the playlot on June 8, July 13 and August 13 at 10am. Bring a cup of coffee and a juice box to catch up with friends.

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