by Father Eugene F. Hemrick
AS FRUITFUL AS our country is and as wonderful as our Church is, there is far too much discontent in both these days.
This discontent indicates to us that something essential is missing. What might it be? I believe we are experiencing growing divisions.
We often hear, “In unity there is strength.” At daily Mass, we pray for unity. Yet when Pope Benedict XVI resigned, he pointed to harmful divisions within the Church as one of our biggest challenges.
In his book, Earth-Honoring Faith, Larry Rasmussen writes, “We are by nature relational beings who know that the only life we have, and can have, is life together. Our natural condition is not, per Hobbes, the war of each against the other and all against all. Our natural condition is a shared instinct to create coteries and communities held together in no small part by moral rules, some of them laws backed by force.”
Paraphrasing Rasmussen, we can say that what is missing is our sense of unity, our sense of togetherness. There is too much warring against others. Our instincts are telling us that we aren’t playing by the rules of healthy community spirit.
Eliminating some of these divisions does not mean doing away with differences. Within our Church, we have diversity. It includes diversity in our rites, languages and also in the interpretation of theology. The same holds true for our country: Diversity is everywhere.
A Mixed Salad
I remember when we studied growing multiculturalism in our country. One of my colleagues said to me, “Multiculturalism is like a mixed salad that is a blend of delightful flavors. It is to be enjoyed and savored.”
How do we regain this sense of unity, even while living with our differences?
Years ago, Pope Paul VI wrote the encyclical Ecclesiam Suam, in which he said dialogue is imperative for the Church’s renewal. He then listed the qualities of true dialogue: clarity, meekness, trust and the prudence of a teacher.
This means that to enter into dialogue, we must talk with each other. Unfortunately, more often than not, we are talking at each other.
We are encouraged to see the situation the way another person sees it, to put ourselves in the other person’s “shoes.” And yet, the only shoes we wear are our own. We also need to stop allowing our selfish interests from outweighing the need for the common good.
These fundamental principles for carrying on a decent conversation are missing. Whenever our instincts make us feel uneasy, it is time to revisit the fundamentals.[hr] Father Eugene F. Hemrick is a syndicated columnist for Catholic News Service.