History buff or not, I don’t think it is possible to visit Philadelphia without being immersed in American History. My sister and I visited Philly for five days last week and refreshed ourselves on much we had forgotten since fourth grade. Plus, now we process that tumultuous period of time differently, through a more seasoned and mature set of lenses.
We complain about the fake news we are influenced by today, but it was interesting to see how the press and ‘pub talk’ spread misinformation in the 1700’s too. We learned that King George’s Parliament imposed taxes on the colonies to cover the cost of keeping the military in the New World to protect the colonists after the French and Indian War. Those taxes were calculated to cover only 40% of the cost – the balance was to be paid by the British citizens elsewhere. Doesn’t sound like a bad deal, but colonists didn’t get the full story on this or other controversial issues. Paul Revere, Thomas Payne, and others artfully misled the public to believe narratives that would lead to the revolution. Thousands of American colonists, Native Americans, British, French, and German lives were lost in that eight-year war. Could we have gained our freedom through negotiations if the truth was more transparent?
A republic like the United States had never existed before, so after the war, the challenges continued. “Freedom and justice for all” may have been a battle cry, but intelligent, yet flawed, leaders ignored the rights and needs of African Americans, women, and Native Americans. It would take centuries to see improvements for these peoples, and we still haven’t figured it out properly. Now I recognize our nation as the big experiment that is still evolving, not yet struck in stone. New leaders emerge, changes are tested; some stick and pass the test of time, others sloth off and get swept up in the dustbin of history.
We might find it to be similar with the Church. God created human beings with free will and the freedom to love or reject Him. The Father sent his Son to start the Church. Centuries pass, Good News spreads, so does fake news. Just as there are flaws in the American citizens that compose our great nation, there are flaws in the faithful people who make up the Catholic Church. Yet both institutions march forward based on a strong foundation and God’s omnipotent Hand.
Scripture: Read Romans 12:3-8. What stands out?
Call to Action: Pray for our nation and for our Church, then help to spread the good news of both.
