Word to the Wise
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 - Wednesday in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 15:1-12, 17-18 and Matt 7:15-20]"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them." [Matthew]
Back in the 1980's, a philosopher named Alasdair McIntyre wrote a book entitled AFTER VIRTUE which ignited a terrific debate on the state of moral discourse and character formation. He advocated a return to traditional virtues of honesty, integrity, etc. that seemed to have disappeared from everyday life. This was evident in the behavior of modern businesses, health care, law enforcement, etc. etc. The utilitarian emphasis on numbers and "results" was eliminating any concern for the human person and human dignity. McIntyre's advocacy of the Aristotelean vision of virtues recalled to me the strong Thomistic foundation in moral theology that I received in my Dominican formation, but it also recalled virtues that my parents instilled in me.
The "Wisdom" literature in the Old Testament drew from similar moral foundations in Hebrew and other Middle Eastern cultures. Jesus' teaching, as shown in the passage from the Sermon on the Mount, echoes that wisdom. The "fruits" of bad trees have shown up time and time again. The scandals over college admissions, ecclesiastical sex-abuse, environmental damage, etc.etc. are well known, but resistance to reform in such areas is also well known. In health care, formation programs are now trying to have health care providers like doctors, nurses, orderlies to see patients as persons in need of care and not as machines in need of repair. Commercialization and competition in this field have eroded the moral basis of care.
Jesus calls us to integrity and to love of God and neighbor. These contrast dramatically with institutional face-saving and profit enhancement. Our political discourse at this time is a direct challenge to Christian values. The old poster asked the right question: "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" By our fruits we shall be known. AMEN