Poles together?

Again I find myself struggling with social media. One of my previous posts unintentionally offended a friend just by the misuse and unqualification of a single word. My aim was to demonstrate the idealistic and unreasoned aims of many coupled with the extremism of a few could be highly destructive. By misusing that word, my post took on an entirely different view which was not what I wanted.

This exemplifies something that is happening in our civilization today. 

I won't pretend that I am not concerned with present events. Indeed, perhaps I am too concerned with them that I want to retreat into a cosy cloister. I am not a sociable animal but I do love my fellow man - or try to at least. What I am witnessing is a polarization of society as a result of initially forced separation. Our Lockdown has kept us apart physically; our social media has encouraged us to engage in separation of ideology. It's no wonder that there is unrest.

Again I refer to the civil unrest due to racial tensions. We do have a problem here and it can only be resolved by refusing to be separated and respecting the humanity of others. We need to be generous enough to allow the other to be wrong.

Unfortunately, that falls into the same problem as the Prisoners' Dilemma. It can only work if everyone commits to coming together for working out the problem rationally. As soon as one person refuses to enter the debate, the goal is lost. 

Should Sir Winston Churchill be allowed to get away with what we now recognise as racist comments? Well, given that he passed away in 1965, we cannot do a thing to bring him to account for them. Is defacing his memory the way forward? Well, it brings the issue to light and allows the pain of others to be heard, but it does not account for the fact that he led this country in a desperate fight on behalf of many minorities against one of the worst racists this world has ever seen. What we can do easily lose in all this is our sense of proportion. I am reminded of Ghandi's racism against those of African heritage and yet look what he does for Indian emancipation.

We have to be reasoned and willing to dialogue with those with whom we disagree with even most profoundly. While I understand that protests give an expression of solidarity and sound a louder note of dissent, destructive iconoclasm which terrifies everyone on every side cannot be allowed to take over. We are returning to the days of digging up Oliver Cromwell in order to try them for regicide and hang in order to feel that justice has been done. This also has its parallel with mad Pope Stephen digging up Pope Formosus at the Cadaver Synod. What justice does it bring?

If we want justice against the dead, we cannot ever hope to administer it ourselves. All we do is vent our frustrations on corpses and statues to the extent that we become unreasoned.

If we want true social justice in which all bigotry, prejudice, slavery, bad blood and various phobias are erased, then that judgement can never be passed by a human being or even a council of human beings. There will always be an accusation of bias or privilege no matter who makes the judgement.

The only true judgement can come from one who knows what it is to be human and from whom all justice flows. Only God can right all wrongs. Only God can bring the dead to account. Only God has the ability to judge every instance of sin fairly and for the good of both oppressed and oppressor alike.

Until that Day of Judgment, we can only do our best, and our inability to create a justice that benefits all human beings means we have no choice but to forge relationships with those who may even wish us dead. This is precisely the content of Our Lord's commandments to love God and love neighbour. It's the best we can do, even to the extent of living together in the most profound of contradictions.

Now, it may well be that one of my readers takes issue with what I have written. If that is the case then I wish it to be understood unequivocally and absolutely that I have intended no offence, no belittling of anyone or their positions, no diminution of their humanity or any aspect of their humanity. I have tried to be honest and truthful. If that offends then I have nothing to say except to express profound sorrow and regret that the offence has occurred and hope that a cup of tea, a biscuit, a prayer and a hand of honest and committed friendship might be some amelioration.