“The modern world is not evil; in some ways the modern world is far too good. It is full of wild and wasted virtues. When a religious scheme is shattered, … it is not merely the vices that are let loose. The vices are, indeed let loose, and they wander and do damage. But the virtues are let loose also; and the virtues wander more wildly, and the virtues do more terrible damage. The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone.”
G. K. Chesterton
We are very keen to point out what is wrong in things. That is exactly why in Philippians 2:14 Paul tells us to do everything without grumbling. I believe that as Christians our first duty is to focus on what we should be doing, and what follows is our discernment about what it is we should not be doing. That is why the commandment which summarizes the rest is a positive one:
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12
It is also why most of the Ten Commandments are negative commands, as in “Thou shalt not…” They are implied once Christ’s positive commandment to love others as yourself is accepted. It seems that as of late we have forgotten this here in the West and, by extension, in our churches. In a way, we have inverted this idea and become hyper-focused on what it is we should not do. What follows the inversion is a hole in the hearts of those who become, in a sort of irony, “hell-bent on righting wrongs”. We see this in politics. For the past century, every social controversy and movement has always been defined by some -ism. Conservatism, liberalism, feminism, socialism, environmentalism, and the outrage against racism and sexism are all, in some sense, good things that have been ripped up from their source: Christianity. It is not that these -isms are inherently wrong; usually their fundamental principles are very good things, and it is why most people’s sentiment about them is genuine. Conservatism looks fondly at the great things that have come before us (Philippians 4:8), liberalism at the equal treatment of all (Leviticus 19:33-34), feminism at the beauty and power of femininity (Proverbs 31:10-31), socialism at the importance of giving (Matthew 19:21), and even environmentalism at the necessity of being good stewards (Numbers 35:33-34). However, it is not wrong to say that the sentiment, in most, is misplaced. The -ism is usually only one of the Christian virtues stripped from its context and — as C.S. Lewis puts it — “swollen to madness in its isolation” (The Abolition of Man, 1943). As soon as we isolate one of those virtues from the rest, we put it on a pedestal; it becomes an idol. Where the virtue was once beautiful in relation to the others, it has now become shallow, and often forced upon us, by itself.
Another inversion takes place when this happens. When we make an issue (especially a social issue) our primary focus, we make it more important than the individual. Social issues (as the name implies) refer to the broader scope of society and its problems in relation to groups of people. In other words, when the issue becomes of sole importance, groups of people, not persons, become the primary focus. That is not to say the Church, and as a result, Christians do not have a role in social issues. In fact, they have the most important role. The Church is called to take care of those in need (Acts 2:35, 4:34), and many people are called specifically to provide aid and serve others. Christ did speak to and took care of groups, however, it was more often that He invested Himself in individuals: the woman at the well, the leper, the blind man, the Roman Centurion and his child, Lazarus, His disciples, us. They were all people Christ came to know and care about uniquely. When our only focus is groups, we define people with labels. We categorize them. And we may begin to hate (sometimes subconsciously) those with labels we do not like. It is a lot easier to subscribe to a group of people. They are not immediately close to us; people without faces. That is why it is also easier to despise a group of people. The harder work is subscribing yourself to a singular person. It is why Christ did not just die for mankind but for each individual man and woman.
I encourage you all to aim to be people-oriented. Do not forsake important issues - nor neglected people - especially the ones God has placed deeply in your heart. But do not let that issue become more important than the person. All men wish to do the right thing; they are just often wrong about what things are right. The virtues we aim to see in the world are good, but they can only all be found in Christ, and always one next to the other; we find them in isolation when we look for them in the world. Be careful when subscribing to an -ism; it usually causes one to do the opposite of loving their enemy. And lastly, put Christ first. He is living, moving, and reactive. He was not some archetype who had quotes; He is more important than what He said.
Alex is a sophomore at Florida State University, double majoring in Digital Media Production and Philosophy. He is a cadet in FSU’s Army ROTC Seminole Battalion, with the hope of being a National Guard chaplain. In his civilian career, he aspires to to be a filmmaker. He believes every good story, at its core, is a Christian one. He likes old books, boxing, black coffee, and getting to the heart of things.