Let us have the proper lens on our Catholic camera

Have you ever taken a picture?  I am sure virtually all of us have.  Every camera has a lens.  Every picture taken is taken through the lens.  The lens has an impact on what we see.  If the lens is dirty, our pictures will be cloudy.  If there is a crack in the lens that will impair our view.
So why the discussion of cameras? I think that we all have a lens through which we encounter the world.  This lens will color and frame our perception of reality.  Speaking broadly, I know people who have a “political” lens.  These folks tend to view the Church and theology through a political lens.  Someone who sees the Church through a political lens tends to use political language when describing the Church.  You might hear, “Is he conservative or liberal?” The truth of the matter is that political labels don’t really fit when trying to understand the Church or her theology or teaching.
There are many dangers in seeing the Church through a political lens.  One of those dangers is this — once we start to preach politics our theology is rejected and seen as a tool of the political right or left.  Similarly, people miss some of the beauty of the Church’s teaching because it seems to not align with their politics.
This is not Catholic.  Too many of us have had the wrong lens on our cameras.  We are disciples of Jesus Christ.  Our lens must be the Gospel.  We are called to embrace the Gospel and make the Gospel our lens for looking at the world.  When we do this we will interpret every political position, every policy, every law through the lens of the Gospel.  The fact that a Republican proposes a law does not make the proposed law good or bad.  Nor would the fact that a Democrat proposing a law render that proposed law automatically good or bad.
It seems to me that our culture is becoming almost purely political.  We are not supposed to be so.  Let us be disciples of Jesus and see our politics through the lens of the Gospel.
May you and your family have a blessed New Year.
— Pat Arensberg is the Director of the Office for Evangelization and Family Life. Email him at [email protected] 
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