Fr. Chuck’s Column, June 7, 2020

There are currently raging in our society two pandem-ics: the coronavirus, and racism. Both are physical, devastating and deadly while the latter is much more complicated. It is physical, as we saw in the violent, shameful deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Ar-bery recently, and also psychological, social, emo-tional and spiritual. The virus we can treat by social distancing and by wearing masks, until we finally get an effective vaccine. We know we will eventually be able to control this threat. The other, far more insidious, has been a deep and integral part of our society and culture for centuries. It is far harder to stop and to heal – we must keep working on it.
We can become overwhelmed by the immensity of the problem of racism. We can despair that any progress will ever be made. We can, if we are white, feel miserable and guilty because of the priv-ilege we enjoy vis a vis Blacks, Native Americans, Latinos, and even Asian Americans. But none of that, I believe, is helpful. What I think is helpful is conversion. Conversion of mind and heart to the Gospel. The solution is to emphasize the good news of the Gospel. This does not eliminate the realistic, sober, eyes-wide-open understanding of the deep underlying patterns of rac-ism that all of us, regardless of race, are caught in. Our guide must be St. Paul. Almost 2,000 years ago, St. Paul gave us a vi-sion of unity and equality that is still breathtaking today. He wrote: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Gal 3:28 All are one.
That is a stunning statement, even after all these centuries. If we really believe this, and so acted like this, then all the divisions of race, class, income level, nationality, or even religion, would not matter. We could see every other person as a sister or a brother, regardless of our differences.
While there are certainly social, legislative, economic, education-al, and other important reforms that must be embraced to help fight the scourge of racism, the ultimate goal is really a change of heart. We are still struggling to live what St. Paul called us to. The real fight against all forms of racism begins in our own hearts. And St. Paul shows us the way.
God bless,
God of justice, you adorned the human race with a marvelous diversity, and you clothed each of its members with a dignity that may never be diminished. Instill in us respect for that dignity, that we may always champion for others the justice we seek for our-selves. Through Christ our Lord, AMEN.