A Pastoral
Letter: For the Kingdom of God on Earth
Dear
Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
It has
pleased God to create our world, and humankind as its custodians. He has
blessed His creation with all good things and has remained steadfast and
loyal in His promise of unconditional love for each of us.
(1)
Upon
seeing His children struggle with their human imperfections, He sent His Son
into the world to redeem it and to promise to each of us His unconditional
welcoming of us into His eternal Kingdom in Heaven.
(2)
While
each of us awaits the gift of the Heavenly Kingdom, God calls us to witness
our personal and communal relationship with Him by rising about the
frailties and weaknesses of our mortal condition by implementing and
witnessing our love and faith in God enriching to Kingdom of God we now live
in. (3)
Much of
the history of humanity on earth has been a history of social, political and
individual struggles for peace, justice and equality.
(4) Despite the greater sophistication
of each new generation, humanity continues to struggle with many of the same
recurring profound moral dichotomies. (5)
We have
perfected the ability to land a human on the moon, but we cannot overcome
our ignorance to cease polluting the earth. We have perfected the ability
to harvest human organs for transplantation, but we cannot overcome our
inability to feed the hungry with the abundant harvests of our farms. We
expound to others the morality of human rights, but we will not admit that
we continue silently to assent to the continued restricting of opportunities
for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of millions of men, women and
children without our own society. We enjoy wrapping ourselves in the flag
to aid the cause of international democracy, but we turn a blind eye to the
international plight of persons with AIDS (6).
We watch eagerly as architects compete to build the world’s tallest
building, but no one wants a homeless shelter built next to their home. We
have celebrated the era of women, but we failed to pass the Equal Rights
Amendment. The shelves of our bookstores are amply stocked with the latest
books about new teaching techniques, but our state and federal governments
continue to grossly under fund textbooks for our schoolchildren. The
insurance companies acclaim the advantages and superiority of their
restructured HMO’s, but for millions of people in need of affordable health
care, all HMO means is “Hopelessly Missed Opportunity.” Modern science has
provided the world with the Internet and the technology to educate our
people and improve their lives, yet tabloid talk shows, which panders to the
basest of human emotions “net” the highest ratings. Many of our local and
national corporations sponsor charity marathon races, but too many talented
people cannot breach the corporate walls impeding their advancement because
of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or race. Man dogmatic and
theocratic Christian leaders preach about the many rooms awaiting us in the
Heavenly Kingdom (7), but seem quick
to display a “No Vacancy” sign to those whom they regard as morally inferior
to themselves.
The
constitution of the United States, and the Constitutions of our fifty states
proclaim the equality of all citizens, yet the realization of this promise
constitutes a never ending advent for those who remain socially and
politically disenfranchised because of their race, gender, orientation,
ethnicity or age.
We
believe that the reality of the Kingdom of God on Earth is one of potential
perfection in the making. That is to say that while we recognize our human
limitations and failings, we must nevertheless strive to create as perfect a
community as possible, (8)
acknowledging the perfect love, peace, and beauty shall be achieved only
after we enter the perfect and eternal Kingdom in Heaven.
But while
we are all still living in this expression of God’s Kingdom, we must
continue to challenge all that which is contrary to the authentic tradition
of Catholic Christianity, as well as the spirit of the theology of Social
Justice and Peace. We must protect ourselves and our community from the
power of evil that seeks to enslave us.
Despite
the uncharitable comments of some very conservative and one-dimensional
ministers and politicians, we cannot set ourselves up as judges of the lives
and welfare of others. As Catholic Christians we must emulate the graces of
community building, and not engage in building walls of bigotry. “Do not
judge, and you will not be judged, do not condemn and you will not be
condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to
you.”(9)
We must
realistically confess and acknowledge that no aspect of human society is
immune from the sin of bigotry. No individual, government, faith community,
workplace, or social organization is exempt from this all too human
weakness. To continue to live in this state of denial will only foster and
empower all that remains dysfunctional in our society and to aid and abet
the power of evil.
It is a
natural human desire to be free and to have equal opportunity of
experiencing a fulfilling life that will, in turn, contribute to the common
good of the global community. Part of the fundamental truth of Catholic
Christianity is that humanity, being created in the image of God
(10), has
been made to share the mystery of His unconditional love.
(11) When individuals, governments,
faith communities and social organizations embrace practices, laws and
policies of exclusion, they act to undermine that which is Godly, and
encourage that which is evil in the world.
Within
recent years, we have seen a resurgence of hate-related crimes, and other
acts of violence and evil. How have the deaths of Matthew Shepherd and
James Byrd affected the Kingdom of God on Earth? This resurgence of evil
demands the questions as to how the Matthew Hales, KKK, Fred Phelps and
other provocateurs of evil have affected the Kingdom of God on Earth. For
too many, the effect has been to become desensitized to the power over our
lives, and the will of God for His people is thwarted. The tragic murders
of Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Byrd are crimes against humanity, and the horrors of
these acts, and all those that we are not aware of, is compounded by the
telling silence of the overwhelming majority of religious leaders in our
national community. We acknowledge that no individual person, government,
faith community or social organization can abolish the sin of hate and hate
related violence from the Kingdom of God on Earth, however, we believe that
indifference and silence towards such acts is morally wrong, a sinful act of
omission and empowerment of evil in our society.
(12)
Acts of
responsibility are the keys, which will build up the Kingdom of God on
Earth. Regardless of who one is, or what responsible office one holds, each
person is indebted to God for the opportunities of our existence in this
world. This indebtedness to God can only re repaid with our own
unconditional acts of love, charity, justice, civic involvement and the
peaceful building up of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Like
generations that have gone before us, we continue to struggle with the evils
of prejudice and hatred. Sadly we still see our own preconceptions and
animus towards others based upon their age, gender, sexual orientation, race
or ethnic background expressed in our own society today.
It is all
too common in the Kingdom of God on Earth for people to be socially and
financially disenfranchised because of their age. Corporations reward their
managers creating ways to avoid hiring qualified and experienced people
because of the accident of their birthdays, because it remains in their
financial interest to seek out younger and therefore less expensive
employees. Many insurance carriers make it difficult for senior citizens to
obtain reasonably priced life and health insurance, improving their profit
margin at the expense of those who need such policies the most and can
afford them the least. Many senior citizens that live on fixed incomes
continue to struggle with very limited options for affordable, quality
housing. Governments still burden senior citizens with unreasonable tax
liabilities. Faith communities solicit senior citizens for a portion of
their estates, rather than honor them for a lifetime of dedication and
service. And for too many people, senior citizens are viewed as easy
targets for violence, instead of fonts of wisdom to be protected. Such
practices are morally wrong, and their sinfulness undermines the building up
of the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Within
many segments of the Kingdom of God on Earth, women strive to achieve
respect and equality (13). Women
struggle to break through the barriers of "glass ceilings" and the
inequality of wages in corporate life. Single women with families risk
enslavement to a social welfare system that denies them any significant
opportunity to seek meaningful financial and employment options. Too many
female heads of households lack proper health care for themselves and for
their children. "Deadbeat" husbands and fathers avoid their moral and
financial responsibilities at the expense of their families. Many faith
communities continue to deny women full and equal roles of responsibility as
well as ordained ministry (14).
Untold acts of emotional violence and physical abuse of women go unchecked,
and the plight of our sisters continues to be looked upon with
indifference. These acts are morally wrong, and their sinfulness undermines
the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Within
all segments of our society, our brothers and sisters are disenfranchised,
persecuted and even martyred because of their sexual orientation.
(15) Employment opportunities are denied
based on sexual orientation. The privilege of serving one's country in the
Armed Forces or in other governmental agencies is restricted based upon
sexual orientation. Housing options are still denied to gender common
couples and to gay and lesbian individuals. The right legally to enter into
life affirming unions is systematically denied as well as many other basic
civil rights that the rest of society takes for granted. Faith communities
continue to persecute and demean our brothers and sisters because of their
orientation and deny them the fullness of their vocations or their rightful
place amongst the laity. We find such acts of hypocritical persecution
analogous to Hitler's genocidal slaughter of the Jews because, in part, of
his inability to deal with the Jewish heritage of his family. Our federal
government and the majority of state legislatures have failed to enact
effective hate crime legislation to stem the tidal wave of violence against
persons based upon their sexual orientation. The Legislatures have also
failed to enact meaningful laws to protect the human and social rights of
all gay and lesbian individuals as well as gender common couples. Such acts
of selective prejudice and willful indifference are morally wrong,
(16) and
their sinfulness undermines the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Racial
discrimination and prejudice continue to show the power of evil at work in
the Kingdom of God on Earth. (17) One would think that the lessons learned from the
sinfulness of the American slave experience would reinforce for this
generation the moral and spiritual imperative for racial respect,
inclusiveness and acceptance. (18) As
long as society denies the God-given right tot he fullness of equality and
liberty to persons because of their race, then we have learned nothing from
the sins of slavery and repression. We still see acts of "steering" in the
real estate industry, where individuals and families of color are
manipulated from moving into certain communities and neighborhoods in order
to improve their lives. Also the new phenomenon of "quick loan" companies
that offer individuals easy cash loans until the next payday. This new
generation of legal loan sharks prey primarily on the poor and people of
color with their hidden fees and immoral and usurious interest rates.
(19) Insurance companies still offer or
deny policies based on the zip codes of their customers, instead of treating
each person as an individual. Dignified health care options remain an
unfulfilled dream for many individuals because of race. People of color
still encounter obstacles in their struggle for educational and employment
opportunities. Such overt and covert acts of racial prejudice are morally
wrong, and their sinfulness continues to undermine the Kingdom of God on
Earth. (20)
The
Kingdom of God on Earth models a rainbow of men and women of color and
ethnic cultures. Ethnicity comprises the individual notes that compose a
vibrant musical chord in the life here within the Kingdom.
America
has prided itself on being a cultural "melting pot." Yet we are now seeing
within the contemporary political arena individuals wishing to deny certain
ethnic groups the right to enter our society through legal immigration. We
are seeing a growing arrogance demanding the ethnic peoples give up their
heritage to conform to a cultural model not their own. We see demagogues
espousing isolationism and jingoistic Americanism rather than
unconditionally embracing all of God's creation. As in the case of people
of color, individuals representing ethnic groups are also denied their
rights and opportunities in housing, labor, finance, education and also
their rights to affordable, quality health care. Such acts of ethnic
prejudice are sinful and their sinfulness fails to build up the Kingdom of
God on Earth.
Sacred Scripture calls
upon us to turn our swords into plowshares (21).
Instead of heeding this call, we have permitted the power of evil to
motivate us to use our natural resources to create swords instead of
plowshares.
The national epidemic of
handgun violence in this country is the holocaust of the new millennium that
knows no age, race, gender, ethnic origin or economic status. This
holocaust robs from us the unique gifts of each victim, bestowed on them by
God. The creation of a handgun is a disgusting waste of our natural
resources. For all of the metal that goes into the creation of a handgun,
four pounds of nails could have been produced to go into the building of
schools, homes, hospitals, libraries or improving public transportation.
This same amount of metal could have been used in the creation of medical
instruments for use in impoverished communities or for use in three dozen
pairs of eyeglass frames for the poor. All of the natural resources used in
creating handguns and the bullets they fire are a sinful misappropriation of
the gift of our natural resources and the social immorality, pain, loss and
suffering which it inflicts upon the human family unquestionably fails to
build up the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Each of us currently
resides within the Kingdom of God on Earth through the grace and will of
God. The mystery of why we are here and the mystery of the meaning of the
Kingdom are completely beyond our mortal understanding.
(22) Despite the teachings of Sacred
Scripture, each and every generation has struggled with its human weakness
and imperfection as they take their turn experiencing their own citizenship.
The power of evil cannot
stand the beauty of God's earthly creation and out of its jealousy and
contempt for this creation, it attempts to invade and work its evil through
individuals unable to reject their false promises.
(23)
One of the most
significant challenges for us is to be aware of the working of evil within
our midst. When we look at the misery burdening our global family, we
usually can find the forces of evil lurking nearby. Another challenge is
for each of us to work for the conversion of those overcome by the power of
evil and now acting as its agents. The antidote for evil is unconditional
goodness. Each of us has the power to overcome the evil working within the
Kingdom of God on Earth. (24) Every man, woman and child is a steward of the gifts of
this Kingdom. We all have been given the promise of life within the eternal
Kingdom of Heaven. (25) While we can
never achieve complete perfection within the Kingdom of God on Earth, we can
surely improve and nurture it through good works and working for the
betterment of all humankind. By working for the common good of all our
brothers and sisters, we, in turn, give glory and thanks to God for the
opportunity of being a part of His Kingdom of God on Earth.
(26)
The story of human
history has taught us invaluable lessons from our past mistakes. We have
seen how individuals, governments, faith communities and social
organizations have failed in their mission to build up the Kingdom of God on
Earth. But despite such mistakes, every human person, with their God given
ability to seek out and be co-creators of goodness, can overcome evil and
take positive corrective action. Does a rational person stand by idle and
watch a house burn down when there is a nearby hose to use to put out that
fire? I think not. Nor do I believe that it would please God to watch the
stewards of His creation stand by and let the forces of evil go unchecked.
(27)
Each of us has been born
into the global human family that resides in an imperfect world. We
inherited the ongoing problems of our ancestors. The mission for each of
us, regardless of our faith tradition, is to nurture our world into a place
that denies the forces of evil and promotes the beauty and dignity of the
human family. I believe that each of us has the God-given ability to
contribute to the common good and common welfare of our global family.
(28) The power of evil relentlessly
works to undermine and confuse us as we try to work to sustain the Kingdom
of God on Earth. (29) We must always remember that when we permit the power of
evil to slow us down, it cannot stop us from ultimately making the world a
more holy place to live. For God has blessed each of us with the power to
overcome evil. (30)
Let this be our prayer.
Let this be our common goal.
May this season of Advent
renew our commitment to the citizenship within the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Let Us Pray
Gracious and loving God,
through your will You have blessed each of us with citizenship within Your
creation here on Earth. Help us as we strive to fulfill our obligations as
stewards of this world as we anticipate the time when you welcome us into
your Kingdom in Heaven. Help us to stand firm against the forces of evil
trying to soil Your creation. Assist us as we witness our faith to a world
that struggles to find meaning in this life. Assist us to embrace all those
who foster evil within the world, so that they may no longer be prisoners of
evil and free to return to You. Amen
Respectfully Yours in
Christ,
James Alan
Wilkowski
Evangelical
Catholic Bishop for the Diocese of the Northwest
The First Sunday of Advent
November 28, 1999
Chicago, Illinois
1. Genesis 1:26-31; 2 Peter 1:3
2. John 3:35
3. John 15:18-27; 16:1-4
4. Isaiah 1:26-28
5.
Gaudium
et spes
13
6. Luke 10:29-37
7. John 14:2
8. Exodus 3:7-12
9. Luke 6:37-38
10. Psalms 8:5-6
11. John 15:1-17
12.
Gaudium
et spes
9
13. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
14. Romans 16:1-2
15. Luke 6:31
16. Romans 14:10-12
17.
Gaudium
et spes
42
18. Galatians 3:26-29
19. Matthew 6:24
20. Matthew 7:12
21. Isaiah 2:4
22. Colossians 1:24-29
23. Genesis 3:1-13
24. 1 John 2:12-17
25. John 3:16-36
26.
Lumen
gentium
40
27. Ephesians 4:14-16
28.
Gaudium
et spes
58
29. 1 John 5:19
30. Ephesians 6:10-17