Embracing the philosophy of family individualism
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the
Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet
you are coming to me?" Jesus said to him in reply, "Allow it now, for
thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed
him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the
heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am
well pleased."
There is something
deep in us that craves independence: to blaze our own trail, to be the master
of our own ship, to fly under the power of our own wings. To proclaim proudly
and publicly like Leonardo DiCaprio did in the movie, “Titanic,” “I am the king
of the world!” The American aspiration of independence is aptly captured in the
phrase “rugged individualism” popularized by President Herbert Hoover. He was
U.S. President from 1929 to 1933, in the wake of the Great Depression. He
penned those words in this context, saying, “We were challenged with a
peace-time choice between the American system of rugged individualism and a
European philosophy of diametrically opposed doctrines – doctrines of
paternalism and state socialism.” Naturally, there is a lot of good in rugged
individualism; it helps us achieve our full human potential. But it is only
half the picture.
Before you
become so ruggedly individual, someone had to change your diapers, someone had
to nurse you at the breast, someone taught you to read and write, someone
taught you to play baseball. And after you’re finished being so ruggedly
individual, someone else will change your diapers, someone else will feed you,
someone else will read and write for you, and you will watch someone else play
baseball all day! My father taught me an old Indian maxim recently, “Inthe yan,
nthale nthee,” literally meaning, “today me, tomorrow you.” In other words,
today you take care of me, and tomorrow someone else will take care of you.
Rugged individualism must be balanced with “family individualism.”
In the
gospel today, Jesus teaches John the Baptist this same lesson of family
individualism. The gospel reads: “Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan
to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, ‘I need to be
baptized by you.’ Jesus said to him in reply, ‘Allow it for now, for thus it is
fitting to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed him.” Jesus was teaching
John what my father taught me, “inthe yan, nthale nthee.” John was learning to balance
his rugged individualism – he lived fiercely alone in the dessert, eating
locust and wild honey – with family individualism. Today, you will take care of
me, and tomorrow, someone else will take care of you.
My friends,
today take a moment to take stock of where you stand on this continuum of
“family individualism.” In other words, ask yourself: who’s wearing the diapers
right now?? There is a time in our life when others must take care of us in our
family, as babies or as elderly, and in a sense, they must “baptize us” with
their love and compassion. Like St. John the Baptist, we must “allow it.” Or,
are you in that stage when you must take care of others – a small child or a
parent – and sort of “baptize them” with love and compassion? Do not begrudge
that service, but offer it cheerfully. Remember what my father said: “Inthe
yan, nthale nthee.” Try to balance your rugged individualism with a little
family individualism, which is really Catholic individualism.
By the way,
do you know who ran against Herbert Hoover for president in 1928? It was the
first Catholic nominee for president, named Alfred E. Smith, a Democrat. Maybe
he was trying to inject a healthy dose of “family individualism” into the
American psyche. Family individualism means we often ask ourselves the
question: “Who’s wearing the diapers, and needs to be baptized?”
Praised be
Jesus Christ!
No comments:
Post a Comment