July 4th Gloom

LEFT AND RIGHT SHARE
A COMMON ANXIETY

It’s not necessarily obvious why particular Mass readings fall on particular days. I often scratch my head wondering, “Who planned all this?”

But sometimes the scripture selections can be unexpectedly pertinent. In fact, they can be so timely and on target that they have a prophetic feel.

Such was the Old Testament reading for July 4th.

The passage is a call for the Prophet Amos to be banished from Jerusalem over his prediction that King Jeroboam…

“shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”

As you would expect, this was a most unwanted message at the time…

“Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city, and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword; Your land shall be divided by measuring line, and you yourself shall die in an unclean land; Israel shall be exiled far from its land.”*

Now that’s a real downer if ever there was one.

Things were bad in the Kingdom of Israel. They were going to get worse. And bringing it up made no one happy.

Somehow the passage captures a feeling shared widely on this Independence Day. A pall of gloom hangs over our nation.

We’ve endured three years of intentional, planned destruction. The current administration has been revealed as a sham, with an impaired President serving as a prop for a crew of behind-the-scenes manipulators. World war has presented itself as a not-too-distant possibility. And there are deep doubts about the integrity of our upcoming election.

Interestingly, this gloomy mood can be found on more than the MAGA front. Democrats might reject my take on the causes of our national malaise. But both Left and Right share a common anxiety.

These two memes, recently posted on liberal and conservative Facebook pages, reflect contrasting points of view. But they use identical language to express a mutual fear.

It’s actually quite striking how similar are the feelings among folks on different sides of the Red/Blue divide.

Interpretations of the present situation vary, of course. But if you had only online postings to judge by, you’d often be hard pressed to tell who stands where.

Here are some examples of popular memes that can be read as representing either Left or Right…

Each of these images speaks for itself. But DO NOT assume you know whether they were posted by Democrats or Republicans. Whatever you think is likely to be just your own political inclination talking. You might be very surprised.

I recently cited an Axios report of a poll that suggests “a lot of the divisiveness we see in America today is concocted (or at least magnified) by the media, and doesn’t necessarily reflect actual conditions on the ground.” It asserted that there is…

“‘compelling evidence we’ve been trapped in a reality distortion bubble — social media, cable TV and tribal political wars — long enough to warp our view of the reality around us.

“‘Yes, deep divisions exist on some topics. But on almost every topic of monthly outrage, it’s a fringe view … amplified by the loudest voices….’”

This analysis is interesting, but I see things a little differently.

Yes, the media’s reality distortion bubble is real. However, I think we are divided, deeply divided — deeply enough to break up families, wreck friendships, and provoke all nature of irrational (even violent) behavior.

But, unlikely as it may seem, at the heart of this conflict is a desire for good.

For those of a conservative disposition, that good might be an idealized vision of a “better” time in the past, long gone, dearly missed, and unrecoverable. For those with a progressive bent, it might be a hoped-for future of justice and human perfection that’s always tantalizingly out of reach.

If my assumptions are correct, then they suggest a longing for virtue, for decency, however differently those qualities may be defined by people on the Left and Right.

I would call it a longing for God — the only true good — though I realize that some people would never see it that way or accept my terminology.

As we watch the current administration crumble and the last vestiges of public confidence in government evaporate, and as we anticipate increased turmoil with the approach of this fall’s election, we could sure use a prophet like Amos to give us a glimpse of God’s view.

What we see with our own eyes is definitely not encouraging.

Still, we have to find hope where we can.

Catholic film critic Steven Greydanus (who I’m pretty sure would consider himself a man of the Left) offers this small bit of cinematic comfort…

As Greydanus observes, this line from the 2012 film, “The Avengers,” is an appropriate sentiment for this year’s strange and troubling 4th of July.

In any event, I hope your celebration of our national holiday was gratifying.

God bless you.

And God bless America!

 

 

*(Amos 7:10-17, July 4, 2024 — Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine)

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As they used to say on “Monty Python”…

And now for something completely different.

I don’t know where this brilliant bit of AI imagery comes from, but it provides a moment of optimistic fantasy…