If you listen to the current news cycle you begin to wonder when concern for fellow human beings will soon be labeled as a act of terror. Mind you this post is not about violence because violence requires one suspend your concerns for aspects of humanity to perform the act of violence.  We have seen too much of terror this month. But this current administration also seems to want to exploit acts of terror to discourage organized humanitarian behavior.  What could possibly be wrong with being concerned with our fellow human being?  Could it be that concern for fellow human beings or in the spiritual sense “neighbor”, renders so many of the current practices of this administration too complicated or simply inefficient? 

We are sending a message to the world. A message that  we are not concerned about the children of families of separation or the future of those families.  Our government conveys we are not concerned about our international responsibilities as humanitarians or aid to humanity. I am concerned we are portraying a nation that won’t even share the scrapes off our table for the national and international  poor, but still can afford to feed our pets gourmet preparations.  Truth be told, and the rest of the planet knows, we can afford both if we are even remotely fiscally responsible. Yes I am concerned about terrorism but not nearly as much as I am concerned for this country’s future spiritual and material well being.

A Modest Proposal for Good

The making of a good decision begins within our individual humanity and consciously moves its consequence out into the community and nation. The good decision begins with suspended judgement while thought does its work through the considerations of an option.  A good decision does its best to absorb the facts and the truth of any situation.  In contrast we see this administration pre- judging while neglecting the due process that must include hearing and considering the story of every resident of this land.  We are also experiencing forms of retribution that are in fact forms of prior judgment in a culture that is clearly spiritually instructed toward forgiveness and tolerance.  This week I even heard our president explicitly elevate a judgmental hatred as his value above the forgiveness of a grieving widow.  Yes, it would be foolish not to see crime where crime exists, but we can begin to clear this morass up by forsaking prior judgement and limiting formal judgement to the discipline of the courts. As private citizens we could listen to the stories of hard lives told by neighbors and strangers.  Moreover if we want to really be a nation with a spiritual identity we could respond to those hard stories by offering dignity, succor, and solace. We can do so much better as a nation.  How could that be terrorism? It isn’t but it very likely is good.