By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Lots of criticism over the strike on the nuclear weapon development facilities in Iran last weekend. Peace is always the ideal, but when someone declares daily: “Death to our neighbors!” and you see him stockpiling guns and ammo, should one simply ignore it? Seeking peace does not entail being naïve, and if history teaches us anything, it teaches that one of the tragic constants is the megalomaniacal desire of some for ever greater power over others. How to face that danger is always a matter of debate.

That’s a great thing about democracies and democratic republics like our own: while imperfect (as all governments are) and certainly no absolute guarantee against dictatorship (no government is), the collective will of the people act as a check on unlimited power. But, as Benjamin Franklin famously responded when asked what type of government the Constitutional Convention created, “A republic … if you can keep it.” All of us participating in the national collective will and discussion is essential, else “we get what we get.”

An example at present is the mayoral race in New York City where a socialist Muslim is the Democrat frontrunner. Despite the abject historical failure of socialism as a governmental system for the last 150-ish years, the lure of it still provides false hopes of taking from the rich and “redistributing” wealth … as if feeding bears makes them more, rather than less, self-sufficient. Also, some report a million Muslims living in NYC already, and as that percentage grows, so will naturally follow influence of that faith’s moral tenets. So New Yorkers—and by extension the U.S.—need to be ready for what they choose.

Now, the wealthy are often condemned as rapacious, yet nobody is forced to buy from Amazon (Jeff Bezos), or use Facebook (Mark Zuckerburg), or trade stocks (Warren Buffett, et. al.), or buy Teslas (Elon Musk—though EV mandates may make this last one a reality). Such persons became wealthy by their ingenuity and work. It’s how they USE wealth that matters. Even St. Paul writes: “Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God … Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

But socialism, history shows, destroys initiative in those who have it, and suppresses its cultivation in those who do not; we see this latter in rife abuses of our own welfare systems. Yet those who are wealthy (and it doesn’t have to be Bezos/Musk/Zuckerberg wealthy) should remember Jesus warning: “… it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24)—especially the fact that it’s easy to forget God when one already has much. In the end, the only luggage we have is our spiritual baggage.

It’s easy to find fault in others, but we’d be negligent (and hypocritical) not to look at ourselves. The great spiritual writer Thomas a’ Kempis had the astute observation that we are quick to condemn others while just as quickly excusing ourselves. For example, do we decry wealth and yet have a huge bank account (“Well…I might need it!”). Do we decry climate change and condemn oil companies and yet have huge SUVs (“I ‘need’ the room!”), or fly around the world on pleasure trips?

We all know how hard it can be to stand by our convictions; a married man enticed by another beautiful woman; the married woman enticed by another charming man. Idealistic politicians enticed by the money flowing through halls of power.  That’s why we so admire those who do stand by their convictions, often even when their convictions conflict with our own.

I was musing over this today (June 29) as we Catholics celebrate the solemnity of the apostles Peter and Paul—two of greatest conviction.

Consider Peter … the rough, tough fisherman … the businessman … no-nonsense … reactive, emotional. Peter is part of Jesus’ inner circle,  and had the joy, privilege and advantage of witnessing Jesus’ works firsthand. After Pentecost, Peter continues his leadership role among the apostles—a role we Catholics believe continues in the office of the Pope.

Then there’s Paul, in many ways the opposite of Peter: cosmopolitan, academic … in the beginning a powerful young man who in his zeal for Judaism became a persecutor of the new Christian faith. Yet after his immediate conversion on the road to Damascus via his vision of Jesus, he would become Christianity’s greatest advocate and teacher other than Jesus Himself … so much so that very soon after his death and henceforth, he is often referred to by writers simply as “The Apostle”. Paul knowingly gave up a budding career which promised wealth, comfort and renown for what would be a life of hardship, pain and hatred and exile from his own people.

No doubt at any point in his preaching Paul could have reverted to his old life and would have been celebrated by his former Jewish comrades for abandoning the new religion and “coming home”. But as years passed, despite great trials and difficulties, he only grew stronger in his love and zeal for Christ … all the way to martyrdom. Such was his conviction. Such was his courage.

Much of Christianity is based upon what Paul wrote, along with other Christian authors of his day. Despite persecution and hatred, they stood by their conviction of Jesus as Son of God. Through the apostles’ courage did the Christian Church become established, and any merely human institution which had endured what she has endured throughout the centuries—wars, persecutions, hatred, scandals, internal corruption—would have long ago crumbled into dust and have been forgotten.

Nowhere is the diverse, yet inclusive, nature of Christianity more vividly on display than with Peter and Paul—so different, yet so alike in what really mattered: love of Jesus Christ and His teaching. Without the conviction and courage of them and countless others like them—bolstered by God’s grace—our faith, which idealizes (if often fails in practice) kindness, charity, love of God and neighbor, might have long passed away. And yet, because it is truth, taught by those with conviction, it continues … now, and forever. To co-opt and convert a line from “Jurassic Park”: “Truth always finds a way.”

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.