By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Well, here we are in yet another election year.  Oh boy, oh joy … to be regaled once again by politicians in their bids to be elected, they trying to walk tightropes between extremes so as to glean the max possible votes. If it wasn’t so serious, it would be amusing as they tread on eggshells during debates and press conferences so as to not offend—or offend as few as possible—likely voters. Thus, experience has shown that positions in public debates held during campaigns to curry max favor are typically poor barometers of predicting ultimate actions in office.

We’ve all seen people who simply do not—even refuse—to define themselves, but rather blow with the wind with every prevailing “correct” or trendy thing at the moment. It’s one thing to change one’s opinion because underlying, foundational knowledge—the data—changes (thus, the open mind), but another thing to alter one’s stand on issues to remain with the ‘in’ crowd. Unfortunately, many are so enamored with being “one of the cool kids” that they scrupulously avoid taking firm moral stands. Such baseless vacillation defines one, but negatively: as unreliable, undependable,  irresolute. Even “flaky”.  Is it any wonder, then, why Jesus Himself warned His hearers: “So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32)

In religion, one who proclaims to be a true believer and yet violates his proclaimed belief is often labeled hypocritical, or, worse, treacherous. A “Judas”. Religion, after all, is the practice and expression of what are supposed to be one’s deepest and core beliefs—that which the adherent believes is absolutely true, or at least as true as our limited humanity can yet know. Would a mathematician BE a mathematician if he dismisses some axiomatic principle because of his variable tastes or waffling loyalty to what is correct? Just imagine: “Well, I prefer 2+2=3, because I don’t like the number 4.” Similarly, if one proclaims a text or tradition to be true truth, by what justification does one disregard/dismiss it?

Much of each person’s personal belief depends upon interpretation of the religion’s foundational texts and traditions; as we well know in Christianity, these interpretations can vary widely. The “searcher” must decide on the veracity and legitimacy of texts and traditions that are held to be true. But, when he does so, will he regard it really as truth, or just truth as long as it fits his own subjective perceptions or is convenient? If the latter, is not the adherent regarding himself the final judge of truth? What is the dividing line between literality and interpretation? Will we be so arrogant as to decide in a critical vacuum isolated from the thoughts and ideas of other searchers, comfortably secure in our own interpretation and brooking no challenges?

For example, Christians generally take the Bible as the Word of God and adhere to the principle belief that God IS truth. Therefore, if our subject Christian “cherry-picks” what he likes and doesn’t like in scripture, does he not make himself the supreme arbiter of truth—even above God? “Lord, you’re correct there. But here you rather missed the mark a bit; let me correct you.” Of course, Jesus used hyperbole in typical rabbinic fashion, so the searcher must explore the path of interpretation. Does He really want me to cut off my hand and pluck out my eye (Matthew 5:29-30), or is He emphasizing a general point of the importance of avoiding temptation? It seems obviously the latter, else we’d end up with a lot of blind, handless people around.

But, of course, we are human, and human temptations can end—sometimes tragically—with failure of willpower. But the key is not to capitulate, but rather to own one’s error, learn from it, and return wiser to the inevitable fray with even greater determination to re-engage the adversary. It would be a poor soldier indeed who surrenders because a battle is lost, and yet the war ever looming and the cultivation/defense of goodness ever ongoing. As St. Paul urges: “…aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith…” (1 Timothy 6:11-12)

So, to make a definitive—a defining—choice means taking a stand and defining oneself per what one truly believes is good, regardless of the flavor of the moment.  But defining oneself in any way necessarily entails abandoning that which is incompatible with one’s belief, no matter how enticing. As in marriage, one “forsakes all others” not because that to others is absent, but rather in order to be faithful to whom is “the best”…the beloved.

“But there are so many fakers…charlatans who simply enrich themselves; therefore, all religion is a farce.” Perhaps, but simply because there are many counterfeit Stradivarius violins does not mean that the genuine article does not exist; the trick is to find the authentic treasure. Christians may recall Gamaliel’s warning to the Jewish authorities, that many fake “prophets” arose, but they eventually were all exposed as false and faded away, and yet the apostles’ faith grew to reach throughout the world—truth enduring. Christians would further argue that such is a real sign of the truth of their faith, for even after two millennia of persecution, scandal and strife—without and within—the Christian faith continues to flourish. Faith may wax and wane in this or that place and in this or that period, but worldwide it continues to burgeon as roses in springtime.

And, like the rose, its warning thorns of prohibition may seem negative, but are not detriments; rather, taken rightly, they rather accent the beauty of the bloom by the very contrast. “Do not damage!”, they call.  Similarly, the Christian believes that what God warns against and prohibits serves not to damage, but to enhance the sweetness of the blossom of Truth … to protect from that which can detract from—and even ruin—the magnificent fragrance and the joy of the garden.

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.