Brothers and Sisters Peace and All Good

Brothers and sisters peace and all good

These next few weeks we are going to start hearing a great deal of chatter about how we have cut spending, how we cannot afford programs like Meals on Wheels, how there is not enough money to protect the environment. They will be talking about how we have to cut the deficit and how taxes are too high especially for the wealthy and corporations. Our leaders are looking and talking as if our federal budget is an economic document, a balance sheet. The federal budget is not just an economic document; it is also a statement on the moral compass of our nation. As such, it should reflect our highest calling to take care of the most vulnerable and support a just, equitable society. The budget presented by President Trump has turned its back on that calling, as evidenced by the laundry list of programs and institutions being drained of resources in favor of expanding military spending.

On Friday night we heard Tamika talk about faithful anger. Well I am very angry. I am angry because my faith, my spirituality my religion has been hijacked by people claiming to be Christian but promoting a theology of hate and fear a theology of separation, a theology that justifies destruction of this beautiful and wondrous creation, a theology of war not peace. Our nation’s Leaders who worship the false gods of money and power. But we need to be more than angry we need to turn our righteous anger into prayerful action. We need to remind these leaders that they will be judged not just by the voters but by God. We can no longer be timid whispering this in quiet meetings we need to shout it from the highest mountain tops.

The 13th century theologian and Franciscan, St. Bonaventure is credited with saying that how we choose and what we choose makes a difference – first, in what we become by our choices and second, in what the world becomes by our choices. This framework of faith is neither radical nor conservative: it simply places justice, dignity, compassion, and solidarity at the core of decision making. That is what our leaders should incorporate in their budget deliberations. In these extremely difficult times, we all need to rely on these principles.

Patrick Carolan is the Executive Director of the Franciscan Action Network in Washington D.C. and a Center for Earth Ethics Senior Fellow. Learn More at franciscanaction.org