The riots at the capital, while awful, are also, unfortunately, somewhat unsurprising punctuation at the end of the year 2020, a year of pandemic, unprecedented levels of social isolation (thus increasing dependence on media and social media for interaction), riots about race and other things, toppling of statues, divisive political polarization, and all not to mention the ongoing painful but necessary process of purifying and healing from past scandals in the Church.
“What is truth?” is the famous question posed by Pontius Pilate to Jesus after Jesus told him he came to testify to the truth, and everyone who belongs to the truth listens to his voice. But Pontius Pilate’s question seems to hang stronger than ever in the air, where new sources and media have their agendas, and we wonder how are they skewing the facts, and what perhaps is being censored or filtered out, what AREN’T we being told? The suspicion of people possibly trying to control us by controlling the narrative.
My brother told me about a recent documentary he saw on Netflix titled, The Social Dilemma, which analyzes some of this, and discusses how it deepens polarization by using analytics to present similar type information to readers based on what they are reading. So the rift is deepened because even internet readers are being presented with information, headlines, based on what they are already reading, pulling them deeper into their preferred polarization.
So combine this with the social isolation the pandemic brought this year and boom! Seems the perfect chemical mixture for an explosion into politically driven violence.
So what are we to do? While we Catholics are not immune to this polarization ourselves, I think our faith calls us to a different path. The Scriptures repeat again and again that the world is prone to strife and self-destruction. But followers of Christ are to strive to live into the truth, because “the Truth will set you free,” Jesus says, so we are to pursue the truth even when difficult. I don’t have all the answers, and I am figuring all this out too with you, but here are three things that I find helpful in navigating all this.
1) Some good Catholic News sources: There are a number of different news sources out there. Here are a couple of Catholic sources I find to be well-balanced news sources, that try to be faithful in reporting the facts, not pulling punches, while also being faithful members of the Church.
Two sources:
2) Less time on screens and more times with people: As stated above, I think some of the issue we face is in isolating ourselves in our own polarized digital echo chambers which deepen the rift. But I find that sometimes when I start to feel the anxiety about the general state of the world, that I can’t do much about, the answer, is to go out and love our literal neighbor. To love, care for, and be present to those members of my community, and to have a humanizing conversation, and to love acts of kindness. There is a profound practical wisdom in Jesus’ words to “love our neighbor…”
3) Pray: And, of course, to go and pray! To spend time with Jesus, to allow Him to help us see the world through His eyes, with the vision of God.
Peace,
-Fr. Kevin
