25 August 2005

We continue with another piece about being a Christian and an American with Stanley Hauerwas.

Hauerwas writes: What (Martin) Marty finds admirable about American life - that is, our desire to get along by being likeable people - (Alasdair) MacIntyre finds our greatest defect. MacIntyre observes:
This wanting to be liked is one of the great American vices that emerges from this refusal of particularity and conflict. Americans tend under the influence of this vice to turn into parodies of themselves - smiling, earnest, very kind, generous, nice people, who do terrible things quite inexplicably. We become people with no depth, no depth of understanding, masters of technique and technology but not of ourselves. ...we, become superficial people, people with surfaces, public relations people

If all we want is to be liked - and many times that is a pressing concerns that can rob us of our authenticity - then we may find ourselves living in this kind of a superficial life. I know I walk there quite a bit. That is why it is so necessary to have people who help us look in the mirror. This is not for the sake of covering up who we are - like a make-up artist. Rather the mirror is to be used to show us, as closely as possible, an honest of depiction of who are at any one moment. When we call ourselves a part of the baptized community, we do not have to fear what we will see and we can admit to all the blemishes and bruises and frailties that stir up in us in many and various ways. We are not a people who are called to be like a flat line on a heart monitor. We can be and must be a disturbing voice and life within the run-of-the-mill days in which we walk along the way of the cross. That "way" will always be disturbing in and of itself. We must be people who cherish community but we expect a community of character and vision that our world would rather keep silent. We are not PR people. We a people who risk our lives for the welfare of others and that does not create good PR in our world.

Connection: We all like to be liked. I know I do. And yet, it is a demon that will take us prisoner whenever it can. Please find someone, at least one other....hopefully many, who will walk along the road to the cross with you.

Lord of the Day and Love of Our Lives, you continue to walk with us and to invite us to be within your presence. Empower us and lead us and pull us by your power so that we will continue to see the vision of your blessed Reign. Amen.