Category Archives: Church

Hard Messages to Hear

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Dear Folks,
In this second Sunday of Advent, we encounter John the Baptist, and his fierce preaching. We also meet the Pharisees and Sadducees, whom we will encounter later. They were very smart,
did a lot of studying, and did a lot of religious devotion. They did a lot of listening to each other, and despising those who were not a part of their group. Of course, if they all agreed on
their basic beliefs and just talked to each other, they would never be challenged serious. They would reinforce each other
In C.S. Lewis’ book “The Screwtape Letters” we see a senior devil (Screwtape) giving advice to his nephew (Wormwood) about how to lead a soul to hell. In letter 3 we see, “You must bring him to a condition in which he can practice self-examination for an hour without discovering any of those facts about himself which are perfectly clear to anyone who has ever lived in the same house with him or worked in the same office.” He’s talking about blind spots, and if we listen to those who think like us and discount those who don’t before really hearing them (because they are evil/stupid/lying) we protect ourselves from having our ideas challenged and our blind spots discovered. In the book “Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps: How to Thrive in Complexity” by Jennifer Garvey Berger, Margaret Wakeley, et al. they talk about the trap of agreement: if our entire group agrees, we tend not to seek further input, and become trapped in our bubble. I have recommended Monica Guzman’s book “I Never Thought of it That Way” to understand how this works and how to counter it. In the book “Radical Inclusion” by Martin Dempsey and Ori Brafman they mention that modern discourse tends not to be about logical argument but competing narratives. People hear a narrative, find it compelling, believe it and proclaim it as if it were the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. They often do not consider if the premises are true, if he reasoning is valid, or if it is missing something. Then, when they hear something contrary to that narrative, they dismiss it, ridicule it, and attack it, without asking, “Might there be something here to learn?”
What if our Pharisee and Sadducee friends were so rooted in the narrative that their approach was the correct one, they were the good guys, and that no one else had anything to teach them. They reinforced each other in their beliefs and were quite sure they didn’t need to change anything in their thinking or actions. John gave them a severe talking to (I don’t think his methods would work today. We are too good at dismissing people we see as cranks.
In the book “The Practice of Adaptive Leadership” by Ron Heifetz et.al. they talk about protecting minority voices. Too often, minority voices get steamrolled and ignored by the majority, but they may have some wisdom to share. Even if we don’t accept all of their position, they may have insight that can help us refine our ideas. We remember that in 1905 Albert Einstein turned the physics world upside down with three groundbreaking papers, including one on relativity. Over time, however, the revolution became the establishment, and when the time came for the next step, quantum mechanics, Einstein was fiercely opposed. He came up with every argument he could to discredit it (and he was very good at that. Even though he was eventually proven wrong, arguing with Einstein helped the innovators refine their position, and it made the science better. Those who disagree with us are challenges, not enemies.
Heifetz also talks about getting on the balcony. Taking some distance to see the big picture, the picture that we can’t see when we are in the midst of the dance. If we can find a way to take a step back this Advent to see things from a different perspective, that could bear some fruit.
May we all have a fruitful Advent.
Blessings,
Fr. Jim

Waiting for God’s Peace

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Dear Folks,

Today we begin Advent, a season of expectant waiting. Waiting is not just stillness, but directed toward a future hope, and doing Advent well includes a keen focus on what we are hoping for, and how we are shaped by that hope. Our readings, of course, help us.

First, in Isaiah 2:1-5, we see a future in which God gathers people from everywhere. God is the great Gatherer. Jesus prayed in His great priestly prayer “I pray not only on behalf of these, but also for those who through their word will come to believe in me. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, may they also be in us so that the word may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely on, and thus the world may know that you have sent me and that you have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:20-23).” Do you want people to believe that Jesus is truly at work in the Church and that the Church is worth coming to? Jesus connects that to our being one. 

We see as people gather, their great desire is that God “may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” We call ourselves disciples, and “disciple” means “student.” To be a disciple is to be learning, that we may “walk in His ways,” that is, live according to His truth.  As they live this truth they will “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks,” because fighting has become obsolete. The great promise is peace: everyone will get along all the time. Ahhhh.

Romans 13:11-14 reminds us that to get to that peace, we must “throw off” all the things we do that are not in keeping with God’s truth. This time of expectation and hope is a time of repentance. By the power of God’s grace, we seek to live like people who want that peace, and that means not only avoiding doing harm, but actively and intentionally building peace (Matthew 5:9).

Because we are sinful, flawed people, we are going to offend each other. We are naturally more aware of how others offend us than how we offend other people (That great big splinter in your eye looks so much bigger than that little plank in my eye). When we have a gripe against someone, we are called to be healers, even if we are sure we are not at fault (though more often than not, we have contributed somehow and need to be open to that possibility). 

We go to the person first and talk, not to attack, but to bring mutual understanding and healing. If we can’t make progress, bringing one or two more into the conversation to help (Matthew 18:15-16). Talking about people behind their backs, saying things about them that we don’t say to them, spreading complains to create a climate of hostility against that person, is a terrible poison that does immeasurable harm in communities. We must all remind each other because gossip is a terrible plague in the church. We are always to encourage healing. Talking to each other is so much harder than talking about them, but that is exactly the sort of sacrifice to which Jesus calls us.

Matthew 24:37-44 reminds us that God will call us to account for how we answer this call, and we are always to be ready.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

Strength in Weakness: Christ the King

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Dear Folks,

This is the feast of Christ the King, the celebration of Jesus’ great victory over evil, over sin and death, and now He reigns supreme forever. Alleluia! And yet, our Gospel is of Jesus on the cross. He is being ridiculed, and He makes no reply. He cannot move His hands or His feet. He has to fight to breathe. This is not what humans think when we think about a great king in his triumphant moment. This cuts to the heart of the Christian paradox that the world cannot understand. Jesus’ mighty power is expressed most powerfully not in His amazing miracles or brilliant teaching, but His faithful suffering and death.

St. Paul understood this, saying “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that exhibit my weakness (2 Corinthians 11:30; see 11:16-30)” and “Hence, I will boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell within me. For this reason, I rejoice when I endure weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and distress for the sake of Christ. For it is when I am weak that I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10; see 7-10).”

Some resist admitting a mistake or failing for fear it will make them look weak, but whom do we trust more: someone who admits when they fail or someone who always, always finds a reason why it is not their fault and not their failing?

Not only have I had to deal with the fact at my age that my biceps aren’t what they used to be, but I have had some particularly powerful lessons in weakness lately, with more on the way. I

have found that times of weakness can be great times of love, and God values love more than biceps.

We look at all the evil in the world, and it is overwhelming. We feel helpless. I find that is often when God does His best work.

Christians are never helpless. Even if we can only do a teeny, tiny bit, if we do that bit with everything we have, that is huge in God’s eyes (see the story of the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4). Even if we are completely immobile, we can pray, though this will put our faith in the power of prayer to the test. I find that God is quite willing to let our faith be stretched. If our minds go so that we cannot form a coherent prayer, God can still touch us on a deep level, as Psalm 8 tells us, “From the mouths of children and babes you fashioned praise to foil your enemy, to silence the foe and the rebel.”

The basic message of the book of Revelation, as well as Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, is that the world may fall apart and go horribly wrong, but Jesus is victorious, and if we remain faithful to Him, we will share in the victory (for example Matthew 24:13).

Bottom line: The more the world goes wrong, the more tightly we need to cling to Jesus. If we stay faithful to Him and do not give up, we can contribute to making things better, but He has the victory. He reigns supreme.

Blessings,

Fr Jim

Endings

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Dear Folks,

As we get close to the end of the liturgical year, we start thinking about endings in general. Life is full of endings and new beginnings, but we still tend to think of things we are used to always being there. The real truth is that nothing that is of the earth is guaranteed for tomorrow (or even later today).

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all have an apocalyptic chapter (“apocalypse” is Greek for “removing the veil” which in Latin is “revelatio.”) This chapter starts with predicting the destruction of the temple. The temple was a huge, sturdy building, and a critical part of the Israelites relationship to God. It had been destroyed in 587 B.C. which was devastating, but you know how bad we humans can be about learning the lessons of history. Jesus’ words would have been a shock, and then he segues to the end of the world. The book of revelation will develop this more.

I would encourage you not to pay attention to anyone who claims to have figured out when the end of the world will be. Jesus said we would not know and instead encouraged us to focus on being ready whenever it comes, whether in five billion years, or in 5….4….3…2 you get the idea.

Getting ready centers around faithfully doing the work that God gave us to do and holding the things of the earth in a loose grip.

Of course, there are other kinds of endings. We each experience the end of the world when we die. We also can lose our health, our material possessions, our position in the world, etc. They can vanish without warning.

Civilizations can fall. The Roman Empire lasted for a thousand years, and I believe people expected it to just continue. When it crumbled and was literally overrun with barbarians it was devastating. The structures of education, law and order, the building of roads and aqueducts and things that kept civilization going crumbled. The Church kept a lot of things going when the government could not, maintaining knowledge and education, building universities and hospitals, and other good things. (That was a time when you could not depend upon government. What about our time?) I recommend the books “How the Irish Saved Civilization” by Thomas Cahill and “How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization” by Thomas E Woods.

When the industrial revolution came, many ways of life abruptly vanished, and people caught in the middle were thrown into desperate poverty (Charles Dickens did a lot to raise awareness of this). I know some heroic Christians moved in to help, but perhaps we can learn to do better.

We seem to be on the cusp of the Artificial Intelligence revolution, and that could do the same thing. It looks like it will be at least as radical as the industrial revolution. How will Christians be called to respond to people who are caught in the middle of this? Matthew 25 describes a little chit chat that Jesus is going to have with each one of us about how we respond to His call. Being aware of that, what should be our focus now?

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

St. John Lateran and the Body of Christ

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Dear Folks,

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran. You may be asking why the Catholic Church is making such whoop-de-do about the dedication of some old church building? I’m glad you asked.

First, we remember that the church building is a symbol of the real Church, who is us.

St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the Catholic Church. The word “cathedral” is from the Greek for “Cathedra” meaning “chair” Jesus said in Matthew 23:2-3 that the scribes and Pharisees sat in the chair of Moses, so their authority should be respected, even though their conduct was abominable. (If you know your history, you know that Catholics have had a good deal of opportunity to apply this teaching through the years).

Some people have said that they believe in Jesus but not the Church. This leads me to wonder where they get their Jesus, because it can’t be from the Bible. In the Gospels Jesus begins by calling people together, and He says that He will build His Church (Matthew 16:18) and expected that the Church would be there to help keep us working together.

The Scriptures compare the Church to a body (1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 1:22-23 and Ephesians 4:11-16), and to a temple (Ephesians 2:19-22 and 1 Peter 2:4-5).

I find the image of the body especially interesting. The various parts are very different, but have compatible genetic structure, and if my rudimentary biology is correct, they agree on certain antigen proteins so they recognize each other as belonging. This can break down when there is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack itself. 1 Corinthians 1:10-16 talks about factions in the early Church, and how dangerous that was. Some say diversity is our strength, and others say that unity is our strength. I say they are both half right. Having diverse points of view, styles of thinking, and backgrounds but being united in purpose and agreeing on essential teachings while cooperat-

ing with each other under the guidance of leadership makes us strong. I have put a lot of energy into teaching and encouraging people to deal with their differences in a charitable

and productive way, and I think it is one of the most important tasks for this generation of the Church.

I believe God calls us to be Church so that we are forced to deal with each other. We have to deal with other people’s ideas, concerns, needs, and perspectives. This draws us beyond ourselves and demands giving of ourselves in a deep way. It also means a lot of times things won’t be done the way we want or the way we think they should be. That is part of the cost of discipleship.

Let us pray that we may work together so that we can be strong against our common enemy (Ephesians 6:10-17).

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

Helping Those in Need Part II

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Dear Folks,

There is serious concern that many things that are meant to help the poor are actually keeping them trapped in poverty. I’ve been told that these are hard to change because many people make money helping the poor to stay poor.

The books “Toxic Charity” by Robert D. Lupton and “When Helping Hurts” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert and the documentaries at Povertycure.org and Povertyinc.org can shed some light on the disparity between good intentions and good results.

In the Greenville and Belding area we have programs that are worth looking at. IM Kids Third Meal makes portable meals for children in food insecure situations to have something

to eat in the evening. I’m not an educator, but even I know that children go through different stages of development, including their brains, at certain ages, and if they don’t have adequate nutrition during those times that development does not happen and can’t be made up for later.

Children must never go unfed. Some will say that the parents should be doing this and I agree, but I don’t know all their situations, and I’m not sure how to make it happen. One thing I’m not willing to do is let children go unfed to incentivize the parents to solve the problem.

Have Mercy helps the homeless to look for work and to find a stable home. They celebrate every time someone “graduates.”

Alpha Family Center and the Walking with Moms in Need ministry help families during pregnancy and when their children are little. This is a pivotal and especially vulnerable time for them, and so what they do is valuable beyond imagining.

Habitat for Humanity engages people and gives an assist as they work to better their own situation. It is known to make a lasting and profound difference in people’s lives, so they can move from squalor to flourishing.

Many churches have food pantries and make meals for people in the community, and these can help people through difficult times (eating has become an expensive hobby).

All these and other programs could use support, including financial and volunteers. Might God be calling us to reexamine how we could participate?

For us to answer this challenge, we the Church must grow stronger and sharpen our focus on caring for those in need. The more we do that, the more people may believe the Gospel that we preach with our words. We cannot do it by our own power, of course. Without God’s grace we are helpless; with God’s grace nothing is impossible. If we want a better world, thefirst step is falling more deeply in love with Jesus.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

Pope Leo and Care for the Poor Part I

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Dear Folks,

Pope Leo XIV has issued an Apostolic Exhortation called Dilexi Te about Christian love for the poor. Nothing in it will surprise anyone familiar with the Scriptures and what the Catholic Church has taught for 2000 years, but he is reminding us as we need to be reminded on a regular basis.

Pope Leo goes through the Scriptures and stories of Saints through the centuries who showed great love and care for the poor and emphasizes that care for the poor is not op-

tional for Christians, but an essential dimension of being Christian, and our Christianity is not authentic without it.

1 Corinthians 9:7 “God loves a cheerful giver.” I remember one church sign that said, “God loveth a cheerful giver, He accepteth from a grouch.” The saying has a more profound meaning than people think. Real generosity is not just giving but joyfully giving.

Our faith calls us not just to comply with commands but be transformed to our core. To be a Christian is to give ourselves to Jesus to transform us by the power of grace. The more we are transformed into the image of Christ the more we seek to give of ourselves, because that is who we are. Hence, the Holy Father warns that worship that is authentic is worship that moves us to care for the poor.

We should not approach them as if they were inferiors, but as brothers and sisters. We encounter Jesus in them, and we can learn from them. We are not only to offer material

help, but dignity and spiritual help gathering them into the community.

He says that giving material goods is meant to be a provisional solution, and better to help them get a good job by which they can earn a enough to live with dignity.

He talks about getting to the root causes. We could have a good deal of conversation about the root causes of poverty. I have heard that those who come from fatherless families are more likely to be poor. How can we address the issue of fatherless families? Helping people to produce more value so they could get good jobs seems important. Would school choice help people escape failing schools and be better prepared? Let’s look at who our celebrities are. What if we did more to lift up those people those people who worked hard and accomplished things that helped people. A culture that valued self-improvement and achievement over gratification of desire might produce fewer poor people.

He warned not to just let the government do it, but neither should we deny the government role in caring for the poor. There needs to be a lot of conversations about how that

all shakes out. One thing that doesn’t help is saying, “You don’t agree with what I think will help, so you don’t care about helping.” I see this again and again in different forms, and I think it is a serious obstacle to productive dialog. There’s a Youtube video called “Bishop Barron on Paul Ryan and Catholic Social Teaching” that talks about the coming together of subsidiarity and solidarity and how there can be different perspectives.

More on this next week.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

Capital Punishment and Pope Leo

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Dear Folks,

Recently, Pope Leo mentioned that those who favor capital punishment are not pro-life. This has confused many people, and I would like to offer some reflections.

First, remember that the term “pro-life” is not rigorously defined. In math, science, and philosophy they taught us to define our terms clearly so we know what they really meant so that everyone using them could understand them the same way. When we use terms that carry much emotional weight but are not rigorously defined, let us remember what is and what is not being accomplished.

Now let us consider capital punishment and respect for human life.

In the Old Testament, God mandated capital punishment, beginning with the covenant of Noah: “Whoever spills human blood, that person’s blood will be shed; for in the image of God has God made man (Gen 9:6).” This taught that all human life was sacred, whether an aristocrat or a peasant, man or woman, little baby, vigorous adult, or infirm senior citizen, their lives had a value that could not be compared with any other value. There was no amount of money, nothing on earth that could compare to the value of human life.

Remember, though, that was not the response to Cain when he killed his brother Abel (Gen 4). More on that later.

As we go through the Bible, we see that God teaches some things gradually, not because He is learning as He goes, but because people can only be brought along so fast. Our kindergarteners are bright and enthusiastic, but they are not learning calculus. They are not ready.

When some Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce and He said they should not be separated they were surprised. “They said to him, ‘Why did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?’ He replied, ‘It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning (Matthew 19:7-8).’” This suggests that God led His people along gradually, and some things they were not yet ready to receive, but that God wanted from the beginning. This may explain His treatment of Cain.

Around the time of the exile, there was more reflection on the individual, personal rights, and personal responsibilities. In Ezekiel 18 we see God reveals what He really wants.

“Do I derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? Asks the Lord God. Would. I not rather rejoice to see them turn away from their wickedness and live (Ezekiel 18:23).”I would encourage reading the whole chapter. A very nasty Saul of Tarsus was responsible for the deaths of many Christians, but God did not strike him down but called him to repentance and sainthood. God wants everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).

We remember the one time when Jesus was presented with a question about capital crime, He didn’t want her killed; He wanted her to “go and sin no more (John 8:1-11).” This does not by itself resolve the issue, but it is worth considering in the discussion.

For many centuries, the Catholic Church held that capital punishment was a proper way to enforce the law and deter crime. Things started to shift starting with Pope Saint John Paul. As I remember it, he started by appealing to authorities not to execute particular criminals. He taught extensively about the culture of death, (which considered killing a way to solve problems) and how that contrasted with a culture of life. Toward the end of his papacy, after laying the groundwork, he taught that we can do better than capital punishment in most cases. Pope Francis pushed it farther. Now it appears that Pope Leo is

moving in that direction.

There are some arguments against capital punishment that I find unpersuasive to the point of being irritating. I saw a t-shirt that said, “Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong?”. I believe it is common to imprison kidnappers,

but I never saw a t-shirt that said, “Why do we lock up people who lock up people to show that locking up people is wrong?” When people claim it is inconsistent to be antiabortion and pro-capital punishment, that tells me that they have not taken the effort to understand the other point of view, and that is irritating. I’m reminded of the 5th amendment that says that no one can be “deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.” Punishing convicted criminals calls for some things that we shouldn’t do to innocent people.

Do some people deserve to be put to death? I think so. In fact, one could make a case that there are some awful people who might deserve to die slowly and tortuously. Imagine, though, what it would do to our souls to inflict such a thing? What would it do to our society? Imagine having that job. I would be concerned about someone who is not repulsed at the thought.

Someone said, “if he took someone’s life should he be able to keep enjoying his life?” I say, “Who said he’ll get to enjoy it?” I’m not arguing this out of niceness. If I had my way a vicious murderer would be put in twenty-three hour a day lockdown, with Mother Angelica, Bishop Robert Barron, Trent Horn, and other such videos pumped into his room. I also have a recipe for brown rice and tofu. Let’s see how he does with fifty years of that. He might beg for a lethal injection. I recognize this idea would have to be adjusted by others who know more about this stuff, but you get the idea. If a few of those souls could be redeemed, that would be a good thing.

If we treat every human life from conception to natural death as sacred in a way that is deeper than human choice, deeper than our personal merits, and transcending all other categories, I suggest that we will be a better society and better people, and will put us in a better position to fight abortion, euthanasia, eugenics, and other manifestations of the culture of death.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

Peace or Division?

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Dear Folks,

It is the work of Satan to tear people apart. It is the work of Jesus to reconcile, and we have been entrusted with that work. “All this has been done by God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, and not holding people’s transgressions against them, and he committed us to the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19”).

Here’s a twist: Jesus said, “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three… (Luke 12:52-53).” But what about “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9)” and “Peace I leave you, my peace I give you (John 14:27).” What are we to make of this?

What about this? In this world torn by sin and division, the only road to peace and unity begins by uncovering the division. Where Jesus went, there was division between those who accepted His teaching and those rejected it, often fiercely. I suggest that Jesus did not create the division, but He revealed the division that was already in their hearts.

There are many dysfunctional families in which problems are not addressed, they are not talked about, and people pretend they don’t exist. Then they get worse. This is not peace.

Avoiding conflict does not make it go away, and when it festers, sometimes there is ablowup.

When surgeons heal, they must first cut. To be sure, they cut very carefully and precisely; they don’t just slice haphazardly. It is all directed toward healing, and they know how to do it. Furthermore, they try to cut as little as possible, while doing the most healing. Incisions for the same kind of surgery gotten smaller as medical science has advanced.

I’ve seen a lot of conversation in social media that seems like just slicing haphazardly: lots of insults, name calling, and attacking.

If I criticize someone in a way that makes them think, “this person hasn’t tried to understand my position, and what he says misses the point” then it’s guaranteed that I will not be able to persuade him. In fact, I’ve reinforced his belief by my unpersuasive argument.

Imagine someone out there who disagrees with me but is open to reason. What in my words has a chance of getting him to think a new thought, ask a new question, or see things from a different angle? How would my words sound to that person?

Recognize there is a disparity between how I hear myself and how others hear me. Being attentive to people’s reactions can give us a hint of what they heard, and how it might differ from what we intended to say. We will make mistakes. It is hard. It can be painful.

Of course, reading the Gospels makes it clear there is no way to be a disciple of Jesus without some pain. It’s easy to complain, to insult people, to call names, but seriously engaging is hard work. Consider, if you could reduce the friction in your car’s motor so

that it went twice as far on a gallon of gas and the parts took twice as long to wear out, what would that be worth? How much more valuable with the members of society.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim

Harder Than We Think

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Dear Folks,

I once saw a bumper sticker that said, “No Farms No Food.” My first thought was that this person wants to abolish all the farms so we will all starve to death. What a mean person! Then

I thought this person wants us to appreciate farms because without them we wouldn’t have food. That was a much better thought.

Did you hear about the man who stared intently at the can of orange juice because it said, “Concentrate.” One man said, “My hair needs cutting really badly,” and I said, “I can cut it really badly.” Just because we understand the words doesn’t mean we really understand what the person is saying. In the seminary, one Bible scholar told us that to understand what is being said we must “listen with our hearts.” He said that if you go into a shop to buy blades for your razor and the woman behind the counter says, “Can I help you, honey?” The word “honey” really doesn’t mean anything. However, if a man is speaking to the love of his life, he might be pouring his whole soul into the word “honey.” If our hearts are filled with anger and hostility, we will naturally hear things in the worst possible way. Let’s be honest; when we really dislike someone, we want to hear bad things about him, just as when we really like someone, we like to hear good things about him. How can that not shade the way we listen?

When people put out some snippets of what someone supposedly said, and then claim they are terrible people, I don’t think that will be as persuasive as they think. In fact, a lot of what

people say is expressed in such a way that it guarantees no one is going to be persuaded unless they already agree.

People have talked about toning down the rhetoric. I don’t think that’s enough. I think we need to learn how to have more effective rhetoric. My ability to have dialog has improved a

great deal over the course of years, and though it doesn’t always produce good results (Jesus had the same problem, and I’m not going to do better than Jesus), I have had many more good

outcomes than I used to. Whatever else you believe about Charlie Kirk, he was very good at that kind of dialog, which is what made him so successful. What if we all learned more about

how to do that?

More effective rhetoric is an art. We must be aware of how we sound to others. The words we say sound more benign to us than similar words said back to us, so two people, speaking in

the same way, can each believe that the other person is being cruel while we are innocent. I suggest that listening well is harder than we think, and we have to get better at it. James 1:19

teaches us to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” What If we, as a society, decided that if we thought some people were headed in the wrong direction, we trusted more in the

power of dialog than in name calling, shouting someone down, and violence?

What if we put more energy and effort into trying to understand and not being too quick to believe we understand enough? What if we focused less on who was a good person and who

was a bad person and focused more on how we can all be better people? Every day is a chance to learn something new, and every day is a chance to become a better person. Jesus said we must strive for perfection and cannot be content with less (Matthew 5:48).

Blessings,

Fr. Jim