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DANIEL WEISS: Community In the Image of God
There is a sad irony to modern life. Most of us live in a community, but we are largely disconnected from those around us. We don’t spend time visiting with our neighbors — if we even see them! The advance in home-based electronics, particularly theater systems and massive flat panel TVs, means we don’t share entertainment anymore. Why go to the ballgame, movie theater or the jazz club when you can see all this in the comfort of your living room?
As far back as 1995, Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam wrote about this isolationist trend in his book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Rather than share life with others, we are increasingly approaching life as if it were a camping trip. This leave-no-trace trend has a tremendous impact on public policy and society as a whole. Even though many people find pornography and sex shops distasteful, they choose to not speak up against them for fear of offending others.
Sex businesses have no such qualms. They don’t care about feelings, morals or boundaries. They will encroach on all that a people holds sacred so long as they can make money doing it. So, these businesses flourish while individuals, families and communities suffer. And no one feels anything can be done.
Yet, much can and needs to be done, starting at the personal level, working through the family and blossoming into positive community impact.
A renewed vision
The first step towards transformation is to reclaim a proper vision of what it means to be human. Father Henri Nouwen writes of this process beautifully in his book Life of the Beloved. Nouwen tells us that we are God’s beloved children, but that our lives also entail a process of becoming the beloved. This process of “becoming who we are” requires that we believe that God loves us and has called us to a life greater than we might imagine.
Transformation also requires a renewed vision of what it means to be made in the image of God and how male and female uniquely and wondrously reveal the hidden nature of God. In The Theology of the Body, Pope John Paul II reflects on the mystery that chaste marital love serves as an icon of the Trinitarian life. If this seems too theological, consider that the Trinity is, at its core, a perfect loving communion of persons. We do not just live in a community. Being made in the image of God means that living with others in loving community is our very nature.
As for me and my house…
What then to do with this renewed vision? Change always begins at home. Because pornographic sexuality is so common, none of us have fully escaped its influence. Ask yourself these questions as you review your home life:
• Do my words and actions always embody a purity that would please God and which I want my children to emulate?
• Do I affirm a healthy sense of femininity and masculinity for my children and their friends?
• What do I find entertaining? Do racy TV shows and films thrill me? Do I allow them to be shown in my home?
• Do I point out to my children and refute false presentations of marriage, family, sexuality and gender in the culture?
Changing long-standing patterns of family interaction or taking a principled stand on entertainment can be challenging, but your leadership will not go unnoticed both within and outside your home.
Finding your voice
The third level of transformation involves the renewal of our communities. When you decide to step up and give yourself to help others, you will be amazed at how much can change. Men’s voices are powerful, but too many men are unwilling or fearful to speak up. If men start talking with passion, conviction and humility, others will listen. These are some things men and women need to be saying again and again:
• Pornography encourages men to consume women. I am not a consumer.
• Pornography degrades women and treats them as sexual commodities. I respect and honor women.
• Pornography ruins lives, marriages and families. I have been hurt, and I don’t want others to be hurt like I was.
• Sex shops and strip clubs harm our neighborhoods and communities. I stand for healthy, thriving and safe neighborhoods.
Creating community reflects the divine image
Be aware that this kind of work can be discouraging. Entrenched pornographic businesses for sure aren’t going away without a fight. Yet, our efforts to create a healthy community are a response to that sanctifying grace and love that refuse to allow our souls to stay polluted. Even the smallest effort can pay tremendous dividends down the road.
(Weiss is the founder of The Brushfires Foundation.)
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