Every so often someone, not a regular reader or subscriber, will leave a comment on one of my blog posts. I had written a piece about the history of celebrating the Mass facing away from the people, the liturgical reforms of Vatican II, and associated aspects of the topic. The point of the article was simply to point out that the view facing away from the people was the real, proper and only authentically Catholic way to celebrate the Mass wasn’t historically based. Such a posture is indeed permitted by the liturgical norms as is facing the people. A comment was offered that I was part of the “smoke of Satan” that was infiltrating the Church. The writer did not address the content of the post in any way, did not offer any correction to the content, or engage the topic in any way.

The blog is set up so that all comments are reviewed before appearing on the blog (at least the first time). This comment was consigned to the trash in order that the comment not become public and that the person thus avoid the sin of calumny (Catechism 2475). The public posting of remarks and comments that only serves to sully the reputation, name, or character of another, sins. And their effort is certainly contrary to the advice of Scripture: “Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander” (1 Peter 2:1).  Did I take umbrage with the person? Nope. I simply said a prayer for the unknown person.

We are all aware of the ease with which invectives, insults and the like can be lobbed into the world of friendship, faith, politics, and ordinary dialogue in the online world (and I suspect increasingly in the face-to-face world). Recently the President of the United States was accused, by prominent Christian leaders, politicians, etc., of being in league with the demonic by deliberately desecrating the holiest day of the Christian Faith, Easter Sunday. In addition to his Easter proclamation, on the same day he issued a proclamation declaring that day to be the Transgender Day of Visibility, something he has done previously on March 31st. Say what you will about presidential proclamations in general, agree or disagree with the proclamation itself, but it seems to me that assigning the demonic to his intentions and actions, is a bit above someone’s paygrade. A more charitable view might be public relationship clumsiness. Transgender Day of Visibility has been designated as March 31st. Easter Sunday is a moveable solemnity depending on the vernal equinox and the next full moon (seriously). That’s why Ash Wednesday and Easter’s dates keep shifting. The next time Easter falls on March 31st will be in the year 2086.

From the public forum to the private, some people are losing themselves to “malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander.” To agree or disagree is one thing, but we are responsible for our response based on that stance. And by that I mean our conduct. What will be your interaction with a friend (or stranger) who has taken an opposite view? It is an important question given we seem to live in an era when your political or theological positions are the primary measure of your virtue, and your conduct and intentions do seem to count for much. It wasn’t always that way. It doesn’t have to be that way. There is a marked tendency to combativeness and confrontation in which disagreement with your view is becoming a synonym for evil and agreement with your position assigns a degree of righteousness to the person. It is though we live increasingly in an era where civility, curiosity, inquisitiveness, and the presumption of good character are on the wane. An era believing Christians and all people of the Book seem less likely to call to mind the words of the Prophet Micah:

You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love ḥě·sěḏ, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8).

I purposely left the Hebrew ḥě·sěḏ because it is a difficult word to translate. But take a moment and watch this 5-minute video on the meaning of the word. For our purposes let us understand the passage from Micah as “to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”  Rather take from the New Testament? Perhaps St. Paul in 1 Cor 13:1 (and following) can offer some insight: “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.” It seems there are a lot more gongs and cymbals these days.

This doesn’t mean that people of faith shrink from confronting injustice, but it does mean that we must engage with kindness, love and humility. St. Bonaventure offered that humility is the guardian and gateway to all the virtues. Humility is also a recognition that we are imperfect people with imperfect knowledge and wisdom. Even on issues on which we feel that burning moral clarity is necessary, understanding complexity should give us pause and offer us the opportunity to move ahead in dialogue with civility, curiosity, inquisitiveness, and the presumption of good character.

We might well believe that our point of view is obviously correct and the other’s obviously wrong, but in that moment, the prophet Micah and St. Paul reminds us of the character of the next step.  Even if you think that kindness and humility are the path to surrender and defeat; that they are signs of weakness in the great struggle against the presumed enemies of the nation and the church – nonetheless, the words of Micah and Paul are not conditioned on outcome. We don’t pursue those virtues only until they don’t work to achieve the outcomes we want.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked that all followers of his movement commit and pledge to certain conduct. Those commitments included:

• Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus.
• Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love.
• Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy.
• Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue, or heart.
• Remember always that the movement seeks justice and reconciliation — not victory.

This past Tuesday, former President Trump sought to capitalize on President Biden’s recognition of the Transgender Day of Visibility by declaring that Nov. 5 — Election Day — would be “Christian Visibility Day.” The writer David French reacted with these words:

When I think of “Christian Visibility Day,” I have very different images in mind — of Christians on the Edmund Pettus Bridge marching for justice and responding to violence with peace, of Christians in Birmingham, Ala., enduring fire hoses and attack dogs in the name of justice and reconciliation. Or I can think of the ultimate Christian Visibility Day, on a cross on a hill outside Jerusalem, when the son of God faced the ultimate act of persecution, looked at the men who were murdering him and declared, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

We will all fail, give into our human emotions and reactions, such is the unredeemed part of us. But whether online or in the world, we who hold up Jesus as Lord and Savior, are responsible to make every day “Christian Visibility Day.”

Inspiration and idea: David French, NY Times