God looked at everything he had made and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed — the sixth day (Genesis 1:31).
Imagine if we saw the works God has done and saw their goodness, every single time. When God looked upon the goodness of all of creation, as He prepared to rest from the labors of creation, He saw goodness. Granted, sin had not yet entered on the scene. Nonetheless, God saw goodness.
In our day, too often we are conditioned to see the negative, to focus on the dividers in our lives. Isn’t it easy for us to rehearse the faults of someone else? Perhaps fear sharpens our vision for what fractures, instead of the vast expanse of what unites our families and communities.
The ancient evils of racism, narcissism, bigotry, unnecessary suspicion and irrational fear blind us to the truth of the goodness of God’s creation — especially people. Racism conditions us to suspect whole groups of people based not on character or behavior, but a physical attribute. What if that physical attribute was weight, hair color or eye color? We would easily see how such biases have no place in the rational thought of the Christian disciple.
Almost 50 years ago, in 1979, the United States Bishops, in their Pastoral Letter Brothers and Sisters to Us, said: Racism is a sin: a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family, and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father. Racism is the sin that says some human beings are inherently superior and others essentially inferior because of races. It is the sin that makes racial characteristics the determining factor for the exercise of human rights. It mocks the words of Jesus: “Treat others the way you would have them treat you” (4). Indeed, racism is more than a disregard for the words of Jesus; it is a denial of the truth of the dignity of each human being revealed by the mystery of the Incarnation.
Bigotry of every kind is chosen blindness to the truth of God’s brilliant handiwork, the beauty of the unity of human beings, the foundational human dignity that undergirds our understanding of life from conception till natural death.
In many ways, the Church in southern Illinois has done remarkable work toward racial unity and justice. People like Joe Hubbard, Sr. Julia Huiskamp and Cardinal Wilton Gregory have helped us overcome fear and become much more aware of the goodness of each person.
The prophet Micah challenges us from centuries ago toward conversion to righteousness: do justice, love goodness, walk humbly with your God (6:8). Justice demands the ability to see the inherent dignity of every person. Goodness is visible in all people if we look with faith. Humility before God comes from realizing that we’ve all received the same gifts: life, dignity, the ability to love and be loved. Justice. Goodness. Humility. These are our Catholic way. May we be one in Christ.
In Christ,
Bishop Godfrey Mullen, OSB