Pardon My Social Faux-Pas

I know it’s not polite to discuss politics or religion in public, especially if you hold a view contrary to what the most vocal groups share so fully on Facebook and in jokes forwarded ad nauseum via the internet and email but I’d like to quietly offer a connection I made last Sunday during Mass.

Dave and I were lectors; a task we both cherish, to stand before our community and proclaim the Word.  We make a point of preparing to proclaim God’s word and not just read it like we’re giving directions to install a DVR or assemble a piece of furniture we bought in a box.  The Word is alive and should be presented that way.

So, there I was, listening to Dave read the following from 2 Corintians…………..

“Brothers and sisters: As you excel in every respect, in faith, discourse, knowledge, all earnestness, and in the love we have for you, may you excel in this gracious act also.
For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. Not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their needs, so that their abundance may also supply your needs, that there may be equality. As it is written: Whoever had much did not have more, and whoever had little did not have less.”

…………. when it occurred to me that maybe St. Paul’s message could be applied to us given the timing of this reading and last week’s Supreme Court ruling on the Obama health care bill.   St. Paul was pretty clear to the Corintians that Christians should share equaly in all things.  While I’m not saying that this new health bill is what St. Paul had in mind, I do believe that the idea behind it is.  Health care should be made available to all persons in this country.  If we can do all other great stuff we do, why can’t we make that happen?

I think it’s time as Christians and Americans to stop the shouting at each other and start actually discussing the problems of inequality we face in our country today.  The bullying has got to stop.  Non Christians are more than welcome to join the conversation.  It’s just that those of us who call ourselves Christians should be looking toward a higher authority than PACs and other interest groups for our guidance. We should trust in the Lord and not let fears keep us from doing what is right.

Many will say, “Sure, in a perfect world, maybe that would work.”   I say, Jesus gave us the instructions and kingdom values to make our world a perfect world.  Now we just have to agree on what that means….. Heavy sigh!