Tradition of Liberty and Justice
Repent, and believe in the Gospel! The law said: “You are a slave. You have no rights here.” “You are a member of a Native American tribe. You must live on the reservation.” “Your ancestors came from Japan. You must live in this camp.” “You are a woman. You cannot vote.” “You are black. You are not fully human.” “You are a child. We will only pay you this amount.” “This is alcohol. You cannot make it, possess it, or drink it.” “You are from Mexico/Haiti/El Salvador. You cannot remain here.” “You live in a British colony. You must pay taxes and have no representation.” “You are a Catholic, a papist. We do not trust you.”
The United States of America has a great tradition of seeking liberty and justice for all. That history is also littered with injustice and prejudice that was/is upheld by law or by tradition. Some of those traditions pre-existed the founding of the USA. There are laws that exist today that one day we will view as having been unjust. Today, people are dedicating their lives to changing such laws. A nation of peoples with a process and a government open for public debate and legislation is still growing and evolving. A democratic republic like the USA is constantly adjusting to the changing needs of her citizens and to the needs of those who want to work, to do business, to visit, and to live here. I do not know where in the USA the statement: “This is the way we have always done it,” is very useful.
When people are striving to achieve justice and seeking the truth, there will be something that is always “just beyond the horizon” about those realities. As we seek justice we need to accept that our relationships require adjustment and flexibility. As we look for truth we need to recognize our fallibility and be humble enough to accept new discoveries about people and things which illuminate the truth.
Scientific experiment and human experience itself have led to great discoveries. And, we also admit that faith and reason, faith and science, are not at odds with one another. People who live with respect for each other, which is a basic humanist desire too, will not find themselves at odds with followers of Christ who live by the commandment to love one another. While loving our neighbor, followers of Christ seek the truth and are open to the process of discovery, where they will find themselves collaborating with all truth-seekers, even unbelievers. “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
Peace, Fr. Andy