Some of you may remember a folk rock band from BC that was moderately popular in the 1990s named Spirit of the West. One of their hits was titled “Political”. Detailing the sentiments of one looking back on a failed relationship, the chorus queried “Why did everything, every little thing, every little thing between you and me have to be so political?” 

The song was not exactly top of the Christian music charts but its chorus does pose a question that strikes to the heart of many human relationships in our present cultural moment: Why does every little thing between us seem to be so political? 

Indeed, why do so many of our conversations these days seem to be overtly political? Whether it’s conversations about partisan politics, church politics, or school and university politics everything seems to be couched in extremes of black and white with little room for sincere dialogue. Politics appear to dictate who we can or cannot be friends with depending on what their politics are. I do not think this hyper-politicization is because it is the U.S. election season or because we in Canada are looking ahead 12 months before we head to the polls to elect a new parliament. 

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The current news cycle has simply amplified a cultural shift toward hyper-politicized relations in which too often we see our social interactions through some political or ideological lens. In my view this is a negative trend that has led to the development of significant segregation in our common life. It is the segregation between us and them, between those who are with me and those who are against me. It is a world seen through the prism of my absolute truth and righteousness as I define it and their equally absolute falsehood and evil as I have judged it. 

Such a view of our fellow human beings evinces a failure to understand our radical equality as persons. It is the failure to acknowledge that others’ dignity transcends political views. It is a failure to see Christ in others.

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Now, please do not misunderstand me, there are ideological, moral, and political views out there that are false and often contravene the moral law. They must be called out as such. But at the same time, we must be able to distinguish the person from the ideology. We can disagree with someone, even disagree strongly, yet still acknowledge their inherent dignity. 

We are also free and indeed have a responsibility to engage in reasoned dialogue in which we can freely advance our own beliefs in an effort to draw the other person to a fuller embrace of the truth. Likewise, we must not be so sanctimonious or proud that we become closed to correction from others when we are misguided and stray from what is objectively true.

As I have struggled and, please God, grown in the spiritual life I have found that one of the fruits has been a greater awareness of my own pride and vainglory. This is a gift indeed, since without this awareness one’s hunger for God’s grace cannot grow. This awareness is granted to us by God through faith supported and strengthened by regular prayer, ascetical practices such as fasting, and participation in the sacramental life of the Church especially through frequent confession and reception of the Holy Eucharist.

As we persevere in the life in Christ we come to know Him more and more. This changes us, as it should. We must follow the dictum of St. John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” And in decreasing we humble ourselves before God and then we must correspondingly humble ourselves before others, including those with whom we disagree. 

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So, whether you're a Conservative who thinks all Liberals are hell-bent on destroying the country, or a Novus Ordo Mass-goer who believes the traditional Latin Mass faithful are just short of schismatics, or your fellow baseball coach is a moron because he’d like to import Trumpism across the border, please consider one thing: What is it that defines your political opponent? Is it their political or theological beliefs? Or is it that they are made in the image and likeness of God, and like all of us are struggling to grow ever more fully into that Incarnational truth? 

Is that not indeed the prism through which we should all seek to be known?