I used to deride the idea of political correctness. What was it but a way to make people feel better about being outcasts, ridiculous, foolish? What was the purpose of being politically correct but to assure socially unacceptable people that their problems weren't problems at all; that they were okay however they were?
After all, I am aware of my own faults and failings. I'm sure that I'm working to correct them and am perfectly willing to make fun of myself for them. If I can be that strong, so can anybody.
Add to that the fact that the Church, in many places, condemns people who are not of the same ilk as her membership. We have often condemned political correctness as a systemized means of condoning sin and errant behavior.
And all this we do in the name of hating a sin but loving the sinner.
The trouble with that practice is that we prove ourselves repeatedly unable to separate sin from sinner. In fact, in most situations, we condemn a sin without even knowing a sinner.
What Christ does, on the other hand, is dramatically different.
Jesus did most of his ministry outside of the structure of the Temple and synagogue. He walked the streets and visited folk in their homes. Not the pious and religious folk, mostly, but rather the outcast and the sinner.
His words of condemnation are nearly all aimed at the powerful and the wealthy. His words for the folk who would today be the object of political correctness are loving and welcoming.
What I have come to understand is that political correctness is a term used by people who want to practice rejection and need to excuse themselves from welcoming people who are not like they. I forsake the term, and I encourage you to do the same. Stop being politically correct. Stop trying to make new rules to divide people into groups and separate yourself out. Make it much easier on yourself and do this simple thing that Jesus teaches us:
Love one another.
No comments:
Post a Comment