A Selfish Coward

Aug 13, 2017

I call myself a Catholic Christian who fancies himself willing to live out his life for his beliefs. But in fact, I’m a selfish coward. Too often I have failed to speak up more forcefully regarding the racism, sexism, misogyny, nationalism and other forms of greed, bigotry, injustice and hate prevalent around me -- in my community and in the nation. I’ve been reluctant to offend many of my acquaintances whose political beliefs differ from mine. I have been reluctant to put into practice certain values I learned as a child and speak fearlessly for the powerless and oppressed. I've been reluctant to challenge those about me who live lives of selfishness and fear, brainwashed by the media and those about them into a distorted view of justice and patriotism far removed from the gospels of Christ.

I’m a child of the 60’s who has become complacent over the years, who has compromised many of his most strongly held beliefs. My fears have been masked in the belief that I should not offend those who believed differently – that others have a right to disagree with me. Some would say I have merely matured. But that’s a lie. I have become increasingly selfish like those I now criticize.

It’s much easier for me to assist at a food pantry or provide assistance to those who are physically ill or who were recently laid off. It’s another thing to come up against the forces of social injustice – rampant unbridled capitalism, nationalism and other isms born of greed and fear. In these times, religious beliefs, both Christian and otherwise, have become weapons to justify those in power and punish those who are different, rather than a mandate to love, comfort and lift up the poor and disadvantaged.

May God remove my fear and give me the courage and resolve to join my brothers and sisters in openly confronting injustice, challenging those in power and giving comfort to the afflicted.