RBWords - Volume 21 - Number 5: May 2008
Something to Think About
Most mornings I wake up to the “Morning Edition” news program on National Public Radio. These programs follow a familiar pattern. In fact, it has almost become too familiar. The Democratic race for the nomination of the party, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the price of oil seem to be the only things going on in our world at the present time (with a bow to the natural disasters in Myanmar and China). One day a week, I wake up to the BBC news and find out what ELSE is going on in the world and occasionally what ELSE is going on in our own country. On the rare occasions that I watch the TV news, the problem seems to be the same. Our American news services seem rather provincial and narrow when I listen to BBC. In an era when the word “globalization” seems to be attached to everything from shoes to sealing wax and cabbages to kings, one would (or at least I do) think that we could be better informed on some of the implications for our own small part of this planet of some of the events occurring in the rest of the world. The same thing appears to be true of what is going on in our Catholic church. I try to read the diocesan newspaper wherever I preach a parish mission and the international church is definitely a very small part of what is reported.
Our American provincialism is dangerous. I think we view any other country as a potential threat instead of a good neighbor. This leads us to act in a domineering and culturally egocentric way. We are often perceived as thinking we\'re the best (whatever that means) no matter what and that we have little to learn from anyone else. We resent the fact that we must rely on others for oil to power our energy and cars (and we\'re prepared to tear up large chunks of our land to create “energy independence!”) I think we misuse the wonderful talents and riches of our land in a futile effort to dominate this planet. “Interdependence” instead of “independence” is the future and we refuse to acknowledge this. All cultures and peoples are subject to human mistakes but all cultures and peoples have great achievements as well, from which we could learn to our great benefit on a cultural, political and religious level. But how would we know about these? We do not own this planet and it is time we stopped acting as if we do. IT\'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
It Has Been Said
In moments of decision, we are to try to make what seems to be the most loving, the most creative decision. We are not to play safe, to draw back out of fear. Love may well lead us into danger. It may lead us to die for our friend. In a day when we are taught to look for easy solutions, it is not always easy to hold on to that most difficult one of all, love.
From WALKING ON WATER – Reflections on Faith and Art
by Madeleine L\'Engle