Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Tired of the election?

If you're worn out on election coverage and analysis and re-analysis, whether you have lost your voice cheering that Bush got what he deserved or worrying yourself silly about what insane act Nancy Pelosi is going to push through her House first, I say let us not forget the Kingdom above all kingdoms. On that note, another little ditty from Pope Benedict's What It Means to Be a Christian:

Here we meet with a theme that runs through the whole of Christ's message. The Christian is the person who does not calculate; rather he does something extra. He is in fact the lover, who does not ask, "How much farther can I go and still remain within the realm of venial sin, stopping short of mortal sin?" Rather, the Christian is the one who simply seeks what is good, without any calculation. A merely righteous man, the one who is only concerned with doing what is correct, is a Pharisee; only he who is not merely righteous is beginning to be a Christian. Of course, that does not, by a long way, mean that a Christian is a person who does nothing wrong and has no failings. On the contrary, he is the person who knows that he does have failings and who is generous with God and with other people because he knows how much he depends on the generosity of God and of his fellowmen.
At a time when we can be inclined to focus on what has just happened and on what is happening right now this serves as a reminder that we are called to look at the world through a lens different than others. Our focus must always remain on His will and His Kingdom even as we struggle to make our kingdom more just. Our goal should never be merely anything except for as a stepping stone towards that which must be our ultimate goal.