Politics
OK, what’s your first reaction when you see the word, “Politics”? What comes to mind?
I suspect many people have a negative reaction. After all, there’s a lot of negativity in today’s politics.
And yet—our faith calls us to do things that involve, well, politics. Our democratic system presumes that citizens vote, hold office, and make decisions.
I find it remarkable that so much of current political discourse holds that it’s OK to bully others. Or that it’s a good thing to ignore the poor. I see nothing in the Bible that supports such views.
To the contrary, as Fr. Steve has remarked: the Gospel pretty much boils down to, “Care for the poor, or go to hell.”
I’m glad that here at St. Matt’s, we are not ignoring the poor. We practice the Corporal Works of Mercy.
As for formal political activity, I urge you to get involved, to the extent you can. As a parish, we’re not going to recommend particular candidates. However, we can and do promote ideas. We can and do convene discussions. Those are political activities needed in healthy democracies.
We also serve as a polling place. Note that the primary election is March 5.
I like what Pope Francis said in 2021. Democracy “demands hard work and patience. It is complex, whereas authoritarianism is peremptory and populism’s easy answers appear attractive.”
P.S. St. Paul City Council member Rebecca Noecker recently invited me to attend a political event coming up on February 25th. It’s a kickoff for an effort to raise funds (through the tax system) to support early learning and care. I want to learn more, so I’m going to attend the event. If you’d like to attend, details are in the insert.
Have a great week!
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