Kyrie Eleison

Perhaps I am an optimist. Perhaps I am just delusional. While I am disappointed in some of the election results, I am not as upset as others I have read online. Maybe it is because I am not enamored with either party, and would be disappointed no matter what the result in one way or another. Regardless, it is what it is. Life goes on.

I have been reading C. S. Lewis lately, and a couple of quotes in Mere Christianity may be worth thinking about regarding society and the recent elections.

“You cannot make men good by law: and without good men you cannot have a good society.”

“If individuals live only 70 years, then a state, or a nation, or a civilisation, which may last for a thousand years is more important than an individual. But if Christianity is true, then the individual is not only more important but incomparably more important, for he is everlasting and the life of a state or a civilisation, compared with his, is only a moment.”

I take two points here. One, let’s stop worrying about the state quite as much as we do - it is far less important than individuals. The state is important only to the degree that it can help or hurt individuals on their eternal journey. We need to do what we can here, and move on to the more important focus.

Second, we should focus more on developing the kind of person that can create a good society. Elections are good, politics are fine, but the values we care about should be important every day. We have to live them, convince others that these values are true, and help others to live them - not through law or coersion, but by convincing them of their veracity.

Making laws is not the best way to change hearts. But changing hearts is a good way to change laws. Maybe we need to do more to change hearts.

Tags: Politics, Catholic, Christian, Quotes