WISDOM OF THE AUGUSTINIAN TRADITION
Caring for Democracy
Discovering the Better Angels of our Nature
By Father John Shea, O.S.A.
W
e live in two converging crises. Civility and mutual respect have fallen away in our politics and public discourse. We are a bifurcated people, dehumanized, angry, and adrift. Even our trusted institutions lack the power to hold us together. Now an unchecked viral pandemic infects millions of us with thousands dying each day. Authorities tell us we should wear a mask, social distance, wash our hands, and do our part to control this carnage. But the question is: “Are we responsible for the lives and the health of others, even those we do not trust, care about, or know?” Is the meaning of being fully human missing? Is it really “us vs. them,” or is it simply us?
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