ONE MIND AND ONE MOUTH

 A SERMON FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT

One of the most unpleasant aspects of life today, one that I don’t ever remember experiencing to this degree, is the horrible degradation of everyday etiquette between people who happen to disagree with each other.  There was a time when people could have arguments, whether political, religious, or any other subject, without resorting to a screaming match and vying as to who can come up with the nastiest name to call their opponent.  But those times are past.

It happened gradually, but quickly.  I think that much of the blame can be attributed to the folks on TV.  When we first noticed it, we may have experienced some inappropriate exhilaration, as we heard “our guys” putting “their guys” in their place.  But then, as similar responses were returned, they spawned a whirlwind of invective that rapidly spun out of control.  Today, there are very few venues left that allow for the polite exchange of ideas and viewpoints.  It’s the nature of the media with its lust for ratings, coupled with the out-of-control career ambitions of its individual talking heads, that continue to propel the standards ever downward.  How long will it be before every news program becomes a Jerry Springer Show, with people throwing chairs and wrestling each other to the ground?  And should we expect the same thing in the hallowed halls of Congress?  We’re not far from it.

Today’s Epistle from St. Paul would seem to have the antidote for all this disgraceful behavior.  The Apostle points to the things that were written aforetime for our learning, the Holy Scriptures.  If only people would follow the advice they contain, we could all “with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  If we read the Gospels and act, as St. Paul says, “according to Christ Jesus,” then we may expect that “the God of patience and consolation grant us to be likeminded one toward another.”

Our Lord, after all, did condemn name-calling.  He told us that those who call others “Raca” or “Fool” would be guilty of the judgment, and that there is no place for such talk in the mouths of his followers.  While we should certainly follow his example, and exhort others to the truth—and that includes all moral truths—we should do so with all patience, forbearance and tolerance, and above all with charity.  Patience isn’t easy when we’re dealing with…—how shall I put it without calling them names?—let’s call them the inadequately educated.  Tempting though it may be to describe them with an array of well-chosen adjectives, we must always remember that this is not the most productive way to put across an argument.  If we go on the offensive too quickly, and what’s worse, if we actually are offensive, the debate is over and lost already.  The whole point of discussing opposing points of view is to persuade the opponent that yours is the correct one.  And calling people names, shouting at them, making snide remarks, none of that will effectively persuade.

We can fairly quickly determine, when we’re discussing things with someone, whether they are of good will not, whether they’re really interested in knowing what the truth is.  That doesn’t mean they already agree with us.  On the contrary, we find them attached to something that isn’t true.  But they’re willing to offer cogent arguments to support what they believe.  It’s up to us, then, to come back at them with even better arguments to persuade them that what we believe is true.  If it’s a religious argument, we may even know it to be true.  But that absolute knowledge of faith should not make us arrogant in our speech.  We must adjust our methods according to many factors—the receptivity of the person we’re speaking to, his intelligence, his personality, how much time we have, whether we’re standing in the pouring rain, and so on.  But never with bitterness, sarcasm, or violent words.  They just don’t work.  In fact, they’re counter-productive, pushing the opponent to entrench himself all the more firmly in his own false convictions.  So remember the God of patience St. Paul talks about.

When it comes to disputing with those who are not of the faith, the better we know that faith, the more chance we have of convincing others to join it.  Our faith will provide us with the demonstrable facts we need to back up and prove our arguments.  This is one reason we should never stop learning about our faith, reading about the true history of the Church, analyzing her dogmas and beliefs, particularly the most controversial.  It’s all part of our ammunition as we “confess God among the Gentiles,” as St. Paul puts it.

But what about those who don’t have good will, who just don’t want to know the truth.  These are the ones who cut us off constantly as we’re trying to make a point, who obviously think they know better than we do and just don’t care to listen to any other point of view other than their own.  They’re all set to accuse those who don’t agree with them of hate speech, who want to take away your first amendment rights to have an opinion of your own.  With folks like this, it’s better simply to walk away.  After all, what’s the point?  If you can’t find any common ground on which to build an argument, then don’t waste your time.  You’ll just end up getting drawn into a screaming match.  No point in that.

Without faith, there can be no oneness of mind and mouth.  It’s our faith that unites us with other people.  To be Catholic is to accept the universal truths of the Catholic Church, to be of one mind with other Catholics who accept the same truths.  These truths and principles provide us with a prism through which we may see all other aspects of life, moral, political, social, whatever.  We can look at controversial issues like illegal immigration, sexual orientation, gender mutation, taxation—anything— through the eyes of our faith, which, if they see straight, will be the same as the eyes of God.  This is what enables us to be “likeminded one toward another.”

We may still have minor differences of opinion but as Catholics we should be likeminded when it comes to the important things.  We should be.  If all the world were truly Catholic, there should be no more fighting, no more wars, no more crime even.  But alas, we’re human, with a fallen nature that constantly draws us away what should be.  But that’s our own internal battle, the one we should fight with ourselves, not with our neighbor.  Whether we’re Catholic or not, disagreements are bound to arise.  Being a good Catholic, however, enables us to deal with these disputes in the right way, that is charitably and effectively.

To sum up, it’s time to try and enter into the Christmas spirit, with its message of peace to men of good will.  No matter what others believe or how badly they act, we can work with them and discuss things profitably, providing they do have that good will.  And that makes it all the more important we preserve the same good will in ourselves.  Advent is a time of preparation, and this is one of the most important ways we can get our souls ready for the coming of the Christ Child and the peace on earth that he brings to men of good will.