Being Self-Critical and Challenging Categories of Deserving and Undeserving
Part of the complication of the moment is recognizing and acknowledging that we are all formed by the same moral ethos. So, transforming the ethos of political polarization requires being self-critical and seizing opportunities to engage in conversation with people who hold radically different views.
You may remember the story of German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He recognized that it was easy to convict people in Nazi Germany who were responsible for directly orchestrating violence and committing evil acts. However, in reality, the moral formation of both sinners and those who consider themselves morally righteous occurs within the same social and cultural context. We can’t bridge the divide if we don’t acknowledge the ways we contribute to creating it.
Bonhoeffer suggests that socially and economically privileged Christians can never fully free themselves from their own complicity in social sin and injustice.
Read more in Jennifer McBride’s and Thomas Fabisiak’s essay on “Bonhoeffer’s Critique of Morality: A Theological Resource for Dismantling Mass Incarceration” in Bonhoeffer, Theology, and Political Resistance.
Imagine the various ways social groups convey their understanding of the distinction between deserving and undeserving individuals—political perspective, position within institutional structures, educational attainment, citizenship, income and wealth, among others. Transforming the tendency to categorize individuals or communities as deserving vs. undeserving challenges polarization.
Do you recall the concept of “soul force” or satyagraha, which was at the heart of Gandhi’s philosophy of truth and nonviolence? Eliminating social barriers is a key aspect of the practice. Satyagraha, or the practice of resisting evil with love, is central to non-violent resistance movements. Satyagraha rests on the belief that one infinite being is at the heart of all things and the divine is within each of us. Holding fast to the Hindu principle of ahimsa, or doing no harm, also means seeking to understand the truth of one’s adversaries and refusing to retaliate with bodily force.
Focusing on Jesus’ Way of Being in the World
Early followers of Jesus grappled with their faith as a total way of being in the world. Jesus never avoided conflict. Instead, Jesus walked with others into conflict created by the struggle for power and dominance of differing moral visions for community in the ancient world. Specific ways we embody Jesus’ way of being in the world in our time will vary according to our context.
What values will you hold onto as you walk with others into conflict?
Creating Cultural Shifts 