Two pieces in the May 2 Star-Advertiser provide the motivation for these thoughts: a letter by Leslie Sponsel on interdependence and the article by David Brooks on unity.
They both draw from the lessons we’re learning from the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest ways to move forward.
We’ve all witnessed business being handled without meetings and relationships thriving without seeing each other; the faithful are worshipping and students are learning. We’ve discovered that community can be experienced without being together. The spirit of taking care of each other has been so natural that it makes one wonder why there is so much anger and disagreement in our communities.
Perhaps it’s time to resolve our differences, garner our collective wisdom, and learn how to create community with the moral principles that unite us. By listening to each other, especially those who have been denied a voice, and working together we might bring an end to the polarity of hate, mistrust, and miscommunication that has been driving us apart.
With this kind of community building, there will be improvement in the concerns that have hurt so many people; from basic manners to bullying, from road rage to domestic violence, from purse snatching to gun violence.
As it’s been said so often, “You can’t legislate morality.” Whether it’s drug abuse or violence, more laws simply won’t solve the problems. But character education in our schools, healthier families, and less abusive, controlling power in religion and politics will have the results we seek.
In particular, moral reasoning will help us overcome the sensitive issues surrounding drug abuse, sexual harassment, domestic violence, affordable housing, economic disparity and all forms of prejudice.
At a recent memorial service, the Punahou community remembered a man, Sig Ramler, whose multicultural perspective on life was reflected in his hope for world peace. But, as soon as these words are uttered, it sounds like the naïve beauty queen who, when asked about her hope for the world blurts out “world peace” or ending world hunger. Well, why not?
Dislodging a power structure based on wealth and power won’t be easy; people with power won’t give up their comforts and pleasures without some motivation. However, if Anne Frank was only partially correct in writing, “people are basically good,” maybe we should start there; by appealing to this goodness and by talking to them about sharing the responsibilities of power and wealth. When power and wealth are understood as shared responsibility rather than control and domination, it will allow us to become partners in an equitable community rather than adversaries in an unequal community.
Several aspects of western civilization require reframing; not only wealth and power. but also authority and priviledge, and abusing the environment and indigenous peoples. The basic needs of health, shelter, food and education should be basic rights of all people not a priviledge to be earned according to someone else’s standards. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” were religion, speech, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.
The major faith traditions can begin by modeling the principles of acceptance and cooperation and by embracing diversity rather than continuing the debate of determining “who’s right.” Working together to eliminate poverty (hunger, houselessness, violence and crime) will bring us closer to the reality of safe communities, good leadership, and, yes, world peace.
John Heidel is an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ and a member of The Interfaith Alliance of Hawaii.
