I have heard many complain, dissatisfied with our two candidates for the presidency. The commentators in the media will often ask, “What is wrong with our political system?” suggesting that it needs to be reorganized and improved.
There is nothing wrong with our system.
The problem is us!
Yes, we are at fault for any failings in our government “system.” What we tolerate will continue.
For example, in our primaries for the office of president, only nine percent of the American people voted. We want someone else to deliver good candidates and good government and then complain when what we want is not delivered on a silver platter into our laps.
Government does not work on “automatic,” but rather requires the constant attention and commitment of citizens. We have taken our hands off the wheel and are amazed that the vehicle is crashing!
All of this comes out of the sin of sloth, one of the seven capital sins. Capital here means “deadly,” because those sins, when deeply rooted in a person, lead to his or her spiritual destruction (and when widespread, the destruction of society).
As one author explained:
“Sloth, often called acedia, is described simply as the sin of laziness. However, while this is part of the manifestation of sloth, the central problem with sloth as a capital sin is spiritual laziness — which leads to lukewarmness.”
He continues:
“Sloth is connected with sensuality. It proceeds from a love of pleasure, inasmuch as it inclines us to avoid effort and hardship. There is in all of us a tendency to follow the line of least resistance, which paralyses or lessens our activity.
“Sloth is an inclination to idleness or at least to aimlessness, to apathy in action. At times this is a morbid disposition due to poor condition of health. More frequently it is a disease of the will, which fears effort and recoils from it. The slothful person wants to escape all exertion, whatever might interfere with their comfort or involve fatigue. Like the real parasite, they live on others to whatever extent they can, becoming gruff and ill-tempered when one tries to rouse them from their inaction.”
The only antidote to the poison of sloth is coming to know the Lord. Only he can cast light on your path, only he can fill your heart with joy and strength.
Do you know the Lord?
And as a country, if we do not rise above our sloth, we will fall prey to those with evil designs among us. And they are clearly working toward that end — the taking of our freedom.
[Quotations from: Neither Hot Nor Cold: Recognizing and Overcoming the Sin of Sloth by Paul Kokoski © Catholic Online, www.catholic.org.]
Father Donald Blickhan is chaplain at the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.