Individual rights versus collective duty.
I heard that phrase a few weeks ago and it’s been rolling around in the back of my mind. If I have learned one thing during the past year since the pandemic began, it is that there is a huge divide on this issue. I’m not talking about politics at all; rather I am talking about the willingness of a society to pursue the greater good in caring for each other — where we live by the “golden rule” teaching of treat others as we would like to be treated, or the teachings of St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians. I love how he puts it, “Because you are followers of Christ, you should be encouraged and filled with love, especially as you meet and live as neighbors in community! Do you have compassion or tender hearts? If you can say yes to those things, then come together in unity, work side-by-side in love with a common purpose!” If that isn’t a great definition of collective duty, I don’t know what is. He then goes on to say, “Dont be selfish or full of pride, thinking it’s all about you. Instead, be humble. Think of others better than yourselves. Don’t only be looking out for your own interests, but understand that there’s a whole world of people with interests and abilities than you can share in. This is the attitude that Christ had.” Later in the chapter, he says, “When you live your lives, do it without complaining and arguments. That way no one can look at you and find fault. If you live clean and pure lives that are filled with love and humility, in the midst of a world filled with darkness and hopelessness, you will truly shine like bright lights of hope!”
Those who follow Christ are called upward, to that greater responsibility to demonstrate (in humility) the light of love and hope. So during the past year when we saw pastors preaching messages of defiance and christian leaders making self-centered proclamations, a great disservice was done to the testimony of Christ. We observed that ugly rearing-up of selfishness and those who said, “It is my ‘God-given’ right to do this or not do this.” Regardless of the risk to others; regardless of the science; regardless of common courtesy; the rights of the individual seemed to … dare I say, trump … the teachings of Christ. However, as you read the scriptures, you would be hard pressed to find examples that lift individual right over the collective community [coming together — communing — in unity…community]. Christ and his followers were all about laying down rights, sacrificing for the good of others. In fact, Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” teaching was filled with these incredibly controversial notions — to turn the other cheek; to walk the extra mile; to give your coat also. All these philosophies often run counter to our natural instincts of selfishness and self preservation. (Also, read St. Peter’s letters for more on how we are to live differently.) As we begin to follow the teachings of the Christ and are led by the Divine, those natural instincts are lessened by the joy of understanding and walking out a new way of living. Loving others and living humble lives that revolve around giving — in both words of life and deeds of hope and helps — changes us innately.
So the collective — the giving outward; the greater good; the community — becomes paramount, and the shared journey, rich with experiences, the acts of amazing kindness and those incredible stories of both big and small moments that move people in powerful ways … that’s what we all [deep down] long to be a part of.
“Love is a one-way street. It always moves away from self in the direction of the other. Love is the ultimate gift of ourselves to others. When we stop giving we stop loving, when we stop loving we stop growing … it is through love we encounter God.”
Mother Teresa