Accusations and Community
- BISHOP ROBERT BARRON
One of the most dysfunctional ways that we form community is through the scapegoating mechanism.
We find someone or some group to blame, and in the very act of accusing and ostracizing, we enjoy a kind of togetherness, a fellow-feeling.
Notice how quickly an innocent conversation circle turns to gossiping and backstabbing — and how much we savor getting into the act. It is said that the only thing two academics can agree on is how poor the work of a third academic is! And this dynamic obtains at the grandest political and cultural level as well. Very often entire peoples define themselves over and against some hated minority. Think how cleverly and wickedly Hitler exploited the scapegoating instinct to bring together a divided Germany in the 1930s.
The scribes and Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus, caught in the very act of adultery. As they accuse her of this crime, a crowd begins to form, eager to see what Jesus would do. Instead of joining the scapegoating frenzy, Jesus quietly bends down and writes on the ground. Rising, he says, "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." One by one, the furious accusers fall away, the mob evanescing like a summer cloud.
Jesus wants to build up a new community called the Church or the Kingdom of God. In order to do this, he first has to challenge the sinful ways that we organize ourselves. The family of God is grounded, not in scapegoating and accusation, (indeed, one of the names for the devil in the Bible is Satanas, which means, precisely, the accuser), but rather in compassion and forgiveness.
This is Meaghen Gonzalez, Editor of CERC. I hope you appreciated this piece. We curate these articles especially for believers like you.
Please show your appreciation by making a $3 donation. CERC is entirely reader supported.
Acknowledgement
Bishop Robert Barron. "A Light Unto My Path." from Magnificat (March, 2016)
Reprinted with permission of Magnificat.
The Author
Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota. He is also the host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary about the Catholic Faith, which aired on PBS. Bishop Barron is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and has published numerous books, essays, and articles on theology and the spiritual life. He is a religion correspondent for NBC and has also appeared on FOX News, CNN, and EWTN. Bishop Barron's website, WordOnFire.org, reaches millions of people each year, and he is one of the most-followed Catholics on social media. His regular YouTube videos have been viewed over 150 million times. Bishop Barron's pioneering work in evangelizing through the new media led Francis Cardinal George to describe him as "one of the Church's best messengers." He has keynoted many conferences and events all over the world, including the 2016 World Youth Day in Kraków, Poland, as well as the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which marked Pope Francis' historic visit to the United States. He is author of Exploring Catholic Theology, And Now I See: A Theology of Transformation, Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master, Heaven in Stone and Glass: Experiencing the Spirituality of the Great Cathedrals, Eucharist (Catholic Spirituality for Adults), The Priority of Christ: Toward a Postliberal Catholicism, and Word on Fire: Proclaiming the Power of Christ.