Some Thoughts

I realize that my posts are very idealistic. Our world is complicated and heavily involved on many levels, from the local to the international sphere. But Catholics are not called to be simply realistic; we are called to witness to the mission of Jesus and the message of the Gospel. In doing so, we must always demand of ourselves a better way of life for everyone on earth, but more importantly, live out the call to reconciliation. We can't simply look past the faults and hurts in our lives. Instead, we must recognize how interrelated our lives are, and cherish our relationships with others. At a global scale, this takes on a far more profound meaning: we must be willing to be aware of the evils in our world, and take a stand against them, while striving to see those in other countries as neighbors and equals.

Gaudium et Spes speaks about weapon disarmament, fairness and equality in economic systems, and multilateralism in nation-building and peacekeeping. However, the document hints at the responsibility that each person owes to one another. Just as one person is responsible for the good and welfare of his neighbor, so are countries responsible for the good and welfare of other countries. Being that presence of good is more than mindless service, but rather, is a committed practice of mindfully seeking common ground and fellowship. It is in this mindset that reconciliation is required. To build these friendships between countries, there must be a sense of relationship that supersedes forgiveness by working to better the other, rather than absolving guilt and moving ahead with one's own affairs. To speak in metaphor, a friend would forgive another that breaks his window, but would practice reconciliation by working with this person to build a new window together.

Weapons of mass destruction stand between this goal. How do you completely and totally trust someone that has inordinate power? There would be no way to get around the fact that one can leverage the other. There is no reconciliation. In the same way, current practices of multilateralism, especially in international crises, such as the one in Ukraine, address political issues and demand concessions, rather than seek permanent solutions by working to directly address the needs of the people. Countries still seem hesitant to become truly committed to the good of one another. While many signs point towards a more peaceful world, we are far from the reconciliation the Church asks for. The guidelines of Gaudium et Spes may be dated, but the message is clear: to accomplish the good of one another, we must be fully invested in that mission, and be prepared to not only set aside all differences and hurts, but establish a lasting means for all to exist in peace and harmony. In doing so, we must have that mindset of relationship, and be ever vigilant that the fate of one country impacts the other. Let us hope that we never lose sight of that goal, and push towards a better unity of hearts and minds towards the well-being of all.