The MInd of Christ

 How important is it that we be of one mind?  I know that yesterday's entry repeated one not long ago, but it was triggered by a conversation that I found disturbing.  Even among those who love God, we seem to assume that we all have to agree:  heretic, liar, a thing to flout, in the words of Edwin Markham, springs readily to our minds and hearts when confronted with those who do not agree with us.

However, this morning as I was reading Psalm 20, I realized that the agreement we seek will not come first.  The ultimate goal is the mind of Christ: one heart, one mind, one will -- that is, the mind of God, the heart of God, the will of God.  St. Peter exclaims, "How wonderful that we should be called the children of God, and in fact we are!"  But like all children, we do not immediately think and feel like our parents.  The story of rebellion in the Garden is our own story.  We begin by asserting our independence:  I am not my parents; I am nothing like my parents.  I am my own person.  Of course we are!  But slowly and eventually, we find ourselves becoming like our parents after all. 

In the spiritual life, the process is the same, and it is a very slow process.  Cardinal Suenens once remarked at an interdenominational conference, "I used to think that we would first be united by one doctrine, and then come to one love and one will.  But now I understand that we are to be first united by a common love, and then by a common will, which will eventually bring us to a common doctrine" (paraphrased). 

In looking at the politics of our country, I see the pattern exposed.  For 200 years, what united America was a common love of God, country, and a score of immigrants who came together as one nation.  We never thought alike -- the Constitutional Convention was a holy mess and threatened to dissolve at almost every minute--- but what united us and overrode our disagreements was a common love for the nation as a whole.  However, while that love remains buried under our politics, the issues have come to the forefront, causing us to lose sight of the ultimate goal -- one nation, one people.  Benjamin Franklin famously once said, "Gentlemen, we must all hang together, or we shall hang separately."  

Reading Psalm 20 this morning, I realized that this prayer is a wonderful starting point for those who disagree on politics, religion, and everything else.  In fact, in the midst of this worldwide pandemic, in the face of the immense suffering of Texans and others who have no heat, no water, and no food, I see others who may be on the opposite side of the political aisle reaching out to their brothers and sisters, saying:

May the Lord answer you in time of trouble,
may the name of Jacob's God protect you,

sending you help from the holy place,

and giving you support from Zion.

May God remember all your offerings,

receive your sacrifice with favor,

give you your heart's desire,

and fulfill every one of your plans.

May we ring out our joy at your victory,

and raise banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your prayers.

Maybe Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, should begin each morning by reciting Psalm 20 with sincerity to their opponents. If we want to reach a common mind on issues, it is clear that we must begin with a common love for one another, with a common respect.  That kind of union is possible only in Christ, whose Spirit is given to bring us into unity with one another.  Maybe the purpose of our natural disasters is to help us drop our political baggage and to take up the cause of brotherhood.