This Post begins with a quote from Thomas Friedman of the New York Times in an article addressing collapsing morality in this era of ours.

“The anti-Nazi Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged by Hitler’s henchmen shortly before his concentration camp was liberated by the Americans, is often said to have described the moral implications of this kind of behavior: 

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

A decision cannot be good if it fears looking evil in the face.  If you participate in the internet at any level, read newspapers, or watch television news you will see evil facing your face every day in this country.  Are you flinching and looking away?  If you are, and many people certainly are, you can be assured your deepest sense of good is being violated by what you see. We are not talking about evil as some metaphysical, or theological abberration here.  Evil can be Good’s shadow deprived of the light of humanity.  Friedman is right.  We are in an epidemic of international moral cowardice and our Congress appears to model the way.  The report card on American moral courage is going to be issued after the next set of elections.  Are we drinking the kool aid or are we still the United States of America?

An urgent plea for good

When you see men, women and even children randomly thrown to the ground or handcuffed by groups of masked enforcers you are looking at evil.  When you see families for any reason being separated, children from parents, without caution or due process; evil.  When you hear data and statements that are consciously intended lies and transparently untrue you see evil.  When excess wealth refuses to use its extraordinary power to offer support and encouragement to the poor and vulnerable you are looking at evil. Starvation that occurs within the designs of mankind?  Evil. Wars that intentionally leak their fatal strategies of destruction on defenseless civilian populations are evil.  Evil is not subtle, but on display for anyone to see who has the courage to look through evil’s intense stare into the genuine teachings of their civil and religious traditions.  Good would be to see what we see and own our democracy’s moral requirement to respond in kind, kindly at the polls. We have one more chance to show courage and heart.