Twenty years ago today, I made my online writing debut with a sprawling ambitious project. I would like to mark that anniversary by reminding folks not of it but instead by pointing to a similarly ambitious but far more important project that was published this year on Ash Wednesday. Without further ado...
On the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, Obedience, and the Requirements of Faithful Catholics
Thursday, June 04, 2020
Miscellaneous Musings on "Us" and "Them":
A lot of people live in bubble-like echo chambers comprising of the proverbial Us. Those who do not live in particular chambers are the proverbial Them. All sorts of bad thing or suspicions can and often are imputed to "Them" that would never be presumed to exist among "Us." The various chambers of "Us" or "Them" embrace all religions, creeds, political parties, races, families, countries, etc.
While this sort of instinct could have had some value in the days when information was scarce for survival or other reasons, it should have long ago in our supposedly more civilized age been consigned to obsolescence. At some point, to avoid the insanity of repeating the same mistakes of the past and getting the same results, something has to be done differently. And while plenty of "Us" folks will blame various and sundry "Them", perhaps it is time for all of us to get out of our echo chambers and actually meet some of them. Whomever the particular "Them" happen to be. Racial, religious, political, familial, etc., make it a point to bridge the various divides not just in rhetoric or theoretically but practically and actually. Go outside of your respective bubbles people.
Remember, not all of Them are sinners while all of Us are saints -there are also saints among Them and sinners among Us. We are all people. It is easier to throw rocks from a distance, much harder to get closer and really try to listen, learn, and understand. You can learn something from almost anybody. But when you keep to "your people" (Us) and make no attempts to actually reach out to "those people" (Them), you are not part of a real solution but instead are perpetuating part of the problem.
We have all at one point in time or another, consciously or (probably more often) unconsciously been part of the problem. Even when we thought we were not or even when we were consciously trying to be part of the solution. For those who sought solace in their bubbles, break them and venture out with and seek to listen at least as much as you talk, if not even more so. And those who have been in the fields for a while, work a little harder on this as well. We all can improve in these areas. Let us all strive to move forward and do just that please. [Written May 29, 2020]
A lot of people live in bubble-like echo chambers comprising of the proverbial Us. Those who do not live in particular chambers are the proverbial Them. All sorts of bad thing or suspicions can and often are imputed to "Them" that would never be presumed to exist among "Us." The various chambers of "Us" or "Them" embrace all religions, creeds, political parties, races, families, countries, etc.
While this sort of instinct could have had some value in the days when information was scarce for survival or other reasons, it should have long ago in our supposedly more civilized age been consigned to obsolescence. At some point, to avoid the insanity of repeating the same mistakes of the past and getting the same results, something has to be done differently. And while plenty of "Us" folks will blame various and sundry "Them", perhaps it is time for all of us to get out of our echo chambers and actually meet some of them. Whomever the particular "Them" happen to be. Racial, religious, political, familial, etc., make it a point to bridge the various divides not just in rhetoric or theoretically but practically and actually. Go outside of your respective bubbles people.
Remember, not all of Them are sinners while all of Us are saints -there are also saints among Them and sinners among Us. We are all people. It is easier to throw rocks from a distance, much harder to get closer and really try to listen, learn, and understand. You can learn something from almost anybody. But when you keep to "your people" (Us) and make no attempts to actually reach out to "those people" (Them), you are not part of a real solution but instead are perpetuating part of the problem.
We have all at one point in time or another, consciously or (probably more often) unconsciously been part of the problem. Even when we thought we were not or even when we were consciously trying to be part of the solution. For those who sought solace in their bubbles, break them and venture out with and seek to listen at least as much as you talk, if not even more so. And those who have been in the fields for a while, work a little harder on this as well. We all can improve in these areas. Let us all strive to move forward and do just that please. [Written May 29, 2020]
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