After divisive campaign, where do we go from here?

You wrote the following on Facebook about a week before the presidential election: “??? I wonder why??? In political campaigns today on the national, state and local levels, WHY do candidates run, not on their gifts and qualifications, but on the weaknesses of others? What could happen if there was a law not to degrade another in campaigns??… We must teach children not to follow the example of many candidates today. Do you join me in wondering … Is this the American way??? What would Jesus do? What does he think of our attitudes and words in politics? I’m going to pray about that today … will you?” What prompted you to write that, and were you surprised by the response you got?
What I wrote on Facebook was what I felt and also what I heard so many other people saying and feeling in so many different words. There was an overwhelming response, not only represented by the number of people who saw it but also by those who responded with “Amen” or “I’ll think about this” or “I’ll pray about this.” Now that the election is over, it’s important that whatever side we were on – or if we were not on any side – that we accept the results and that we come together as a nation as best we can in a spirit of unity. Needless to say, in any election, candidates do not fully reflect the teachings of Christ and the church. We must make sure that though we are faithful citizens of the United States and are faithful to the government, at the same time we must stand for the values that Christ stood for and live our lives in a spirit of religious freedom. We can do that in a noble way.

How do you characterize the tone and other aspects of the campaign?
It seems to me the campaign is much longer than it needs to be because it allows time for more name-calling. What we saw in this election was the total disrespect for other human beings. I think the campaign has caused our nation to become unsettled for a number of reasons. I would hope that the lack of civility that we’ve seen in this campaign will not terribly affect our children. We need to tell them that this is not the American way; this is not the way Jesus wants us to treat one another. We can learn from this and make a difference in the world because we can change the lack of respect and name-calling that have become so prevalent.

Where do we go now? The nation is so divided.
As we look to the future with a new leader, none of us has a crystal ball, and none of us knows what will happen or what will come forth. Therefore, we must pray and pray and pray that somehow in the midst of what has taken place over the last week that as Christians we can be bold and courageous about speaking about our faith and living the faith. We must do all that we can to influence Congress and the president so that we will not only have religious freedom but also that the values of Christianity will in some way be preserved and fostered. I often think of the patron saint of our archdiocese – St. Louis King of France – who made sure that all the laws of France reflected the Gospel values of Christ. Can you imagine what the United States would be like if our leaders, both in Congress nd in the executive branch, wanted to accomplish that?

Did this election expose the fear in the hearts of many Americans?
What the campaign and the election brought out is that the people – no matter what side they were on – were angry and in a mood of some level of despair. Many believe the government has not lived up to its responsibilities. We have to remind ourselves that out of the darkest days, God brings light, and Jesus stands before us and says, “Come to me. Do not be afraid. I walk with you.”

What can individual Catholics do in the aftermath of all this heated rhetoric?
On a personal level, as Catholics, we are called to be civil to our neighbor. What seems to be happening in the United States – and in our world today – is that people feel free to say whatever they want to say without filtering their thoughts through their brains or their hearts. In so doing, we can say very hateful things to others. We can put people down and strive to belittle them. I think this was manifested not just in the national election but also in our local elections. All the candidates were doing the same thing by going for the jugular of their opponents. I’ve asked myself a few questions: Am I careful in the way I use words? Do I think before I speak? When I’m not careful with my words, am I hurting others or name calling, either directly or indirectly? We know that is certainly not what Jesus came to teach us. Perhaps we can bring that to prayer. Proverbs 15:1 is something we all can reflect on: “A mild answer turns back wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Questions for Archbishop Aymond may be sent to [email protected]