For a couple of years back in the late 80’s I led a week-long junior high retreat at Camp Aldersgate in Northern New Jersey focused on justice and peace. The camp had counselors from all over the world, and they were incredibly capable and funny people. We would tease back and forth, and when someone would say something snarky, we would respond with, “I am shocked and appalled!” It became our catchphrase during those weeks, but it also probably covered up some real emotions around what we were dealing with in the camp. Nuclear devastation is no laughing matter.
In 1993 (30 years ago!), Robert Hughes wrote a remarkable book called “The Culture of Complaint: The Fraying of America”. He dealt with people from all over the political spectrum, making the case that siloing and manufactured outrage were leading us down a dangerous path. 30 years later, we see just how right he was. We now find our politicians condemning drag queens who read nice stories to children while keeping silent about a member of Congress groping and being groped (while obviously drunk and/or high) in a public theater. One pundit said that we have learned that the standard of moral behavior is higher in a theater in Colorado than it is on the floor of Congress. We make excuses for the behavior of one president’s son and ignore the immoral behavior of another. We listen to our elected leaders and clergy make excuses for their horrendous behavior while they point condemning fingers at the rest of us. We should be shocked and appalled, but we are too numb to speak.
Meanwhile, the Senate has eased up the dress code and people are, as usual, taking sides. I wish that Sen. Fetterman would dress for success, but the claim by some that not dressing up is an attack on the sacredness of the Senate floor is ridiculous. As they focus on his hoodies and shorts, Rome burns. Too many meaningless comments and internet soundbites cover up the real tragedy of our nation; we are devolving into mayhem, and we don’t know how to stop ourselves. We are allowing immoral and selfish people to make decisions for us, and yet we keep electing them. Most of us are basically good people, but we allow our inner and not-so-hidden biases to keep us from working together. What is shocking and appalling to me is that we are in denial about how dysfunctional we have been and still are, and that keeps us from creating a more perfect union. We could be better, but we don’t seem to care. Hughes compared our descent to the fall of the Roman Empire, and I think he was right.
Prayer – Help us, God of the universe, to find our way out of this darkness of disrespect and ignorance towards the light of understanding and compassion and unity. Amen.