by Jason WildeThe Darkness has begun. There will be no dawn. - The Lord of the Rings
The best way to divide a people is to make them believe that another person is an enemy. One of the fruits borne of the Spanish Flu in 1918 was a growing sense of individualism. Aided by wounds from the Great War, this caused, among many other things, most Western countries to become suspicious of one another, to mistrust any person or thing that did not belong, and to spurn anything foreign. In Germany, the plight was even worse due to a struggling war recovery effort which saw few friendly helpers. A common enemy was needed to unite a battered and wounded country. The Jewish people were as convenient as any - after all, they had been known to be protective, to isolate themselves, and they often held financially beneficial positions. For decades, there had been gossip that these people had a secret agenda to take control and destroy a way of life that Germans took a lot of pride in. Occasionally, stories of exploitation, mostly overblown, were printed, and most of the readers just looked on. But in the formidable years following 1918, a young Adolf Hitler had already begun working on propaganda that sought to identify 'traitors' who caused the defeat of Germany. It was this propaganda, or 'chatter', that seeded his absolute power 15 years later, largely due to divisions and inaction among the majority who opposed Nazism - divisions that were caused by the same propaganda. I recount this history not to condemn or name anyone as Hitler or the Third Reich (I've been accused of this before), but to point out ploys which darkness uses to plant its roots. I'm not talking about any single physical being. This is a darkness that cuts to the soul of every living person, being, and creature. It is one that is reborn in every age, under a different name or disguise, but always with the same intent - to divide us and pit one against another. However, I do observe roots beginning to spread again amidst a similar background of sickness, destruction, and anguish. There is again a small but very loud 'chatter' going on in our social media, in everyday conversation, and in the news that tries to convince us that some person, group, or demographic is our enemy, and that we must be on guard against any competing suggestion. Many times, we don't even know the source of this chatter and gossip, but we are happy to share if it agrees with our belief about a particular enemy. I observe that many of the same tactics and attacks which were historically used against the Church now have renewed vigor within the Church... At one time, the Church battled relativism - a belief that what is true for me is not necessarily the same as what is true for you or anyone else - a selfish argument that sought to divide the Church with moral differences. But now there is what Pope Francis calls a 'practical relativism', where everything is irrelevant unless it serves one's own interests - not only morally, but also financially, legally, politically, conveniently, or even spiritually: 'This' issue is not important because 'My' issue is preeminent, 'This' is not the rite of worship because it is not how 'I' see God, 'This' is bad politics because it doesn't help 'Me', or 'This' is the way it should be because 'I' am comfortable and secure. For decades, we've seen the ill effects of individualism - that what I do is my own business and in the name of personal freedom. This ploy birthed a sexual revolution, a drug boom, newly morphed godless spiritualities, and the subsequent breakdown of family and adoption of birth control and abortion as a norm of life. But now there is a tendency to discredit any kind of communal thought as an attack on this individualism, even among the Church who only lives in communion. Former self-centered battle cries for abortion and sexual freedom are now being used to rally for all kinds of extremist political ideologies, economic interests, and even religious freedoms. If you don't believe me, then just take a look at some of the arguments being used to fight against pandemic life-saving measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, and stay-at-home orders, and then see if they can be used to justify 'My body, my choice'. Then there is the idolatry of money. For the past 150 years, famous names such as G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and eight Catholic popes have spoken caution against trust in economic models which do not value human life and dignity. Much of the 20th century was spent defending against communism as many saw how it silenced the Church's views on worker's rights and dignity. But now we see the same neglect for workers as they are seen only as pieces in a machine to be controlled (and now sacrificed) by the very economy they support. If there is anything that the economic collapse due to COVID-19 has shown us, it is that capitalism, unchecked and supported in large by mega-corporations and political pandering, can be just as neglectful of worker's rights as its socialist counterpart. People should never be ordered to work against their will, especially when it comes at a risk to their life. "(God) calls human beings to their full realization and to freedom from all forms of enslavement" (Evangelii Gaudium, 57). But, in order to reverse these sins, we must make personal sacrifices in our own support of this system - in our finances, in conveniences, and in our way of thinking about being a holy consumer. Big Business and State Socialism are very much alike.” - G.K. Chesterton, April 10, 1926 I don't want everyone to think that I'm a doomsdayer. In fact, I believe there is a Light shining in the darkness that the darkness cannot overcome. There is still a large majority of good and caring people who love their neighbors and live lives of selflessness. But just as in the 1930's in Germany, we must not be the divided and inactive majority who hides our light under a basket. It also means that Light is not necessarily coincident with prosperity, convenience, or 'the way it used to be'. Suffering has always been a part of the Christian life, and we cannot confuse personal happiness, prosperity, and health with living in relationship with God who cares for the poor, the outcast, and the suffering. The culture of prosperity deadens us." - Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 54
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On a MissionTwo passionate parents and their four children are excited to bring His Word to everyone in need while living a life of Gospel poverty as missionaries. They invite you to join them on a journey to encounter our global neighbors that Jesus commands us to love through works of charity and service. Archives
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