JANUARY 21, 2007

During the War Between the States (also known as the Civil War to Northerners), a woman gushingly said to Abraham Lincoln: "Oh, Mr. President, I feel so sure that God is on our side! Don't you?" "Madam," replied Lincoln, "I am more concerned that we should be on God's side."

Very often the media focus in on controversial issues that seem to affect Catholics: the pro-life vs. the freedom of abortion debate; the right-to-die movement; schools of choice proposals; parish and diocesan closings and reorganization; Church finances; personal problems with clergy and religious shortages; scandals involving moral failings by clerics; debate over celibacy and the ordination of women; divorce and remarriage; and a myriad of other discussions. All of these issues have sides drawn up that pit people against each other.

There is an old saying that there are three sides to every issue: your side, my side, and the right side. Everyone wants to claim that God is on his/her side, from the trivial to the profound. But Lincoln's observation is the most insightful. The question is not "Does God agree with me?" but rather "Do I agree with God?" We need to think carefully about that, because those two questions do not say the same thing.

It is impossible for anyone to grow up without biases, opinions, feelings. Human beings are different from each other. That heritage is our glory, for we are each individually created by God: distinct, unique. But it is also our shame, for we are separated and divided. Each of us is egocentric enough to believe and act as though my particular viewpoint is the only reasonable one. And so we like to appeal to God as being in our corner.

Our energies would be far better spent if, rather than contending against each other, we were humble enough to try to be in God's corner: to discover through prayer and study and dialogue what God's will is, for us and for our world. In short, we ought to devote ourselves to making sure we agree with Him, rather than trying to convince everyone else that He agrees with us. Common sense tells us that if we are always talking, there is little time for listening; if we are always leading, there is little time for following. If we are immovable, there is no progress.

A brand new year has been given to us: 2007. Perhaps a worthy personal, and communal for that matter, resolution might be this: when faced with such controversial issues, to approach them with calm, serenity, peace, prayer and discernment, thereby helping all of us to be on the same side: God's side.