As Irma begins to send her winds and feeder bands through southern Florida, and as we start to feel the winds pick up and storm clouds gather in Panama City, where JoAnn and I were kindly taken in from our exodus, I felt a quiet assurance. Texans and Floridians, with the support of one another, with the aid of many from many corners of the region and nation will work together. Even in the utter devastation experienced by the Caribbean islands of Barbuda and St Martin, there will be recovery.

The larger concern I have is the continued gathering of the oppressive clouds and destructive winds of division, polarization, tribalism, nationalism, violence, and war that is wearing down our country and world. We can come together in a time of natural disaster, but we are ripping ourselves apart with the lack of respect and unwillingness to acknowledge the dignity of one another. Our Gospel today offers some hope.

The opening and close of today’s Gospel reading is very telling: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone’ ” (Mt 18:15) and “For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). Jesus provides for us a model and he himself is the source for dealing with conflict.

Jesus offered the steps for coming together to resolve disharmony. First one to one, then three two one, then if the person still does not see their error, bringing in the elders and leaders of the Church. Each is an appeal to the conscience of the individual who has offended, who has sinned, who has caused harm, and at the foundation of each attempt is the intent not bring down condemnation but conviction. Jesus insists that we resist the temptations of gossip, character assassination, and dehumanization. In this way, we can work to hold each other accountable in love, moving toward reconciliation and mutual respect, to win over our brother or sister.

We are called to embrace the gift and grace of our own God given dignity and diversity. Each one of us who are a unique gift and expression of our loving Abba that no one has nor ever will again express, as each of us can, in our own original way. But we will not attain the harmony and peace of Jesus’ call for unity if we keep making decisions rooted in our fear and prejudices, if we continue to crouch and operate from a defensive posture.

On our own initiative, from a posture of I am right and you are wrong, and even with the best of intentions, we will fall short, for “with human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Mt. 19:26). As we deal with conflict, with division, we need to be willing to come together, to see each other as human beings first and foremost, and with two or more, be willing to pray with and for one another, knowing and trusting that Jesus will be with us. Jesus who spoke to the storm and stilled the storm.

Let us continue to unite in prayer for those who are recovering from Harvey and Irma as well as those who are experiencing Irma right now and those who are in her path to come. Let us be there for one another as best we can when the storm passes, to assist in recovery. May we also be willing to put Jesus’ teaching today into practice: to seek reconciliation, to pray together for one another, to be willing to work together to resolve our conflicts, to act with St Paul to love our neighbor as ourself, for “Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:9-10). In this way, we can be bearers of light in the darkness and gathering gloom of division, polarization, and prejudice that still covers our land.

Link for today’s reading:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091017.cfm

Photo from the sanctuary of St Bernadette Catholic Church in Palm City Florida where JoAnn and I offered prayers of intention during the Saturday Vigil Mass last night for our brothers and sisters who have been affected by and will be in Irma’s path.