SAFCAM-Communique #11

SAFCAM-Communique #11                St Benedict-11/07/2020     

Contradictions, Incongruities, Inconsistencies proliferate all over the media.

How does anybody trawling through the news media keep a clear view of right and wrong, virtue and vice, truth and error; how do we discern what is accurate or false, genuine or fake, ethical or corrupt,…? How do we avoid drowning in confusion? How does a child or teenager navigate safely through these troubled waters, which even an experienced adult ‘sailor’ finds unnerving.

Breaking news headlines invariably carry a left-wing or a right-wing slant. How anybody interprets each article is filtered depending on which side of the centre line one stands, and so is immediately labelled as correct or misleading! The gospel teaches us that there is a ‘third way’. That not everything is either-or, but most of the time it is both-and, inclusive. There is my story which may be opposite to your story. But God’s story sees merit on both sides and does not polarize. Besides, in order to fly, whether it is a bird or a plane, TWO wings are needed. We cannot try to ‘fly’ with only a left-wing or a right-wing mentality.

Sadly so many issues are polarizing our societies currently. To take just one example:

When Black Lives Matter protest, no “All lives matter” banner dare be seen in the vicinity for fear of getting assaulted. Why? And why can it be agreed that black lives matter, of course they do, but why can that not include the black lives in the womb of their mother? All lives matter except unborn babies?

If any one group seeks to precede the ALL, then it implies that group matters MORE, and then the rest don’t matter. But if ALL matter, no matter what, then ALL will matter equally.

Yes, every human life matters and is of infinite value. If we begin with any single group of lives, then we risk exclusivity. Only when ALL lives matter, can each individual, and every minority group then matter!

As I respect all who parade their BLM posters, I expect others to respect my liberty to keep insisting that All Lives Matter. Inclusively. Universally. Both-And ! Not Either-Or ! That is one of the foundations of freedom of expression, a value which is so precious, it must be defended.

Please have a look at this 3 minute YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/2Kq0-NAtDWw

As educators and evangelizers of the young, we Salesians need to be “woke” * enough ourselves, to guide them to the truth and freedom of fruitful citizens and holy (wholistic/balanced) Christians.

God bless

Camiel and Francois

 * woke – a new in-word, which is not the past tense of awake, but is attributed to those radically aware of all the issues of justice of current importance in society, and so become activists in aid of those causes. Unfortunately only those on one side are considered truly ‘woke’. Like those who march in favour of defunding the police, the legalization of abortion, same-sex marriage and all the LGBT assertions, BLM, climate change,… etc. The young lady in that YouTube video we recommend you watch, would not qualify as woke in the opinion of mainstream media. She does in our view. Woke must not be only about being against but also being for!