Like many people around the world I have followed the events in Ferguson, praying for reconciliation and healing, reflecting as well upon the corrosion of democracy the more we chose to abandon authentic faith and praxis, that is the daily living of the Gospel, the preaching of the Gospel with our lives without compromise.
My purpose here is not to analyze the tragedy of the
shooting of the young man in Ferguson Missouri some months ago, nor to comment
on the reaction/actions of those citizens who have taken to the streets
protesting the Grand Jury’s decision – rather it is to reflect upon the over
arching reality of the constant weakening of societal stability, impact of loss
of authentic moral principles, rooted in a loss/weakening of faith in
Judeo-Christian based cultures.
In a recent address to the European Parliament, Pope Francis
posed the following questions to the continent, questions which can also be
asked of all ‘new world’ countries since our religious and cultural roots, [ after
those of the First Peoples who where here when the Europeans arrived ], originate
in Christian Europe:
“…. we can put the
question: “Where is your vigour? Where is that idealism which inspired and
ennobled your history? Where is your spirit of curiosity and enterprise? Where
is your thirst for truth, a thirst which hitherto you have passionately shared
with the world? The future of the continent will depend on the answer to these
questions.”
If there remains in the United States, but not only there, after the
bloodletting of the last century, such deep racial and religious divides and
hostilities; if extremist fundamentalism exists not only outside of the
Americas and Europe but within, even if not as violent as Islamist forms are; if
anti-Christian bias in media, film, other forms of ‘art’ has become the acceptable
form of intolerance, then the above questions need be posed to each of our
hearts, but especially to our politicians at every level, for they are supposed
to be leader-servants of ours and not followers of their own whims, agendas,
ambitions.
In his stage play and film, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, author Robert Bolt
has his hero St. Thomas More state:
“When statesmen
forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they
lead their country by a short route to chaos.”
How often do we
hear political leaders claiming to be Christian, frequently to be Catholic,
state in various ways how while they do not ‘personally’ adhere to whatever the
immoral proposal may be, nonetheless not wanting to ‘impose’ their personal
belief on others they will vote in favour of abortion, euthanasia, removal of
visible Christian signs from the public square at Christmas, making right ‘in
law’ various disorders which assault marriage and family.
If leaders wonder
why, in a situation such as the Ferguson tragedy, their moralizing at such
junctions is received with either disdain or people simply not trusting, it is
because lack of authentic moral leadership day in and day out means in a crisis
people find it difficult, if not impossible, to trust such leaders when
leadership is most needed – for like the solitary child who alone spoke the
truth “The Emperor has no clothes!” leaders who fail to lead but merely follow
special interest groups or their own lust for re-election are devoid, naked of
true strength, the strength of calibre which comes from knowing the true origin
of their authority: “…all government comes from God…The state is there to
serve God…” [Romans 13: 1ff]
St. Paul outlines
as well our obligations as citizens however and if we wish to have leaders whom
we can follow then we needs be very careful whom we elect, which means we must
have solid moral roots ourselves.
Here too the
example of St. Thomas More is critical, as noted St. John Paul in 2000 when he
named More as patron of politicians: “….it is helpful to turn to the example of
Saint Thomas More, who distinguished himself by his constant fidelity to
legitimate authority and institutions precisely in his intention to serve not
power but the supreme ideal of justice. His life teaches us that government is
above all an exercise of virtue. Unwavering in this rigorous moral stance, this
English statesman placed his own public activity at the service of the person,
especially if that person was weak or poor; he dealt with social controversies
with a superb sense of fairness; he was vigorously committed to favouring and
defending the family; he supported the all-round education of the young. His
profound detachment from honours and wealth, his serene and joyful humility,
his balanced knowledge of human nature and of the vanity of success, his
certainty of judgement rooted in faith: these all gave him that confident inner
strength that sustained him in adversity and in the face of death. His sanctity
shone forth in his martyrdom, but it had been prepared by an entire life of
work devoted to God and neighbour.”
“Unwavering in…rigorous moral stance”!
A question we and our leaders need to pose of our hearts.
