It’s been almost two months now since the riots in Baltimore. There has been a lot of talk about body cameras for police and failed government policies. I have even heard some folks saying that there have been paid protestors being flown to these places. So while I believe there are a myriad of problems that we need to solve as a people and as a culture, no one seems to be talking about one of the most important ingredients to solving these problems.
That ingredient is a simple set of concepts. These concepts have been around almost a long as humans have been able to read and write. Even though they are simple concepts, they are not easy to put into practice. All these different concepts are contained in one word: Virtue.
To refresh our collective memories, here is a partial list of virtues (in no particular order): Understanding, Wisdom, Acceptance, Caring, Compassion, Cooperation, Detachment, Fairness, Respect, Generosity, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Patience, Integrity, Optimism, Moderation, Truthfulness. I could continue but you get the point. How often do we think about these standards when we are going about our day?
So while most of us probably don’t think specifically about virtue on a daily basis, some of the solutions being proposed are designed to enforce or institute some of those concepts. Take body cameras for police. What is their purpose? Well, of course, it’s to monitor the actions of both the police and the accused. But why do we need to place cameras to record these actions? The answer: Our society no longer places an emphasis on virtuousness, on the dignity of every human life, except when we know we are going to be judged by others. What about when no one is looking/watching?
Time again on these videos, the police that are involved appear to lack Compassion. They do not see the accused as a human being, as one of God’s children. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect the police to treat the accused with kid gloves. But there is a fine line between self-defense and brutality. The case/death of Eric Garner in New York is a prime example.
What would happen if the police treated everyone as their neighbor? I understand that there is evil in the world; I am not blind or naïve. However, virtue is missing everywhere. It’s missing when we are driving our cars. It’s missing when we are in line at Chic-Fil-A. In my opinion, the police are merely reflecting the attitudes and outlook of their fellow citizens.
How do we change this situation? We don’t need to put cameras on the police. We don’t need more laws, regulations, and high level government symposiums. All we need to do is start recognizing the dignity of every human being in every situation. The Gospels hold the key to the best way to live: Love your neighbor. Who is my neighbor? Everyone I meet or encounter.
Am I a paragon of virtue? Heck no. I do know this, though: Every time I fail to follow the example of Jesus, I am committing a sin. When I cut that guy off in traffic, when I get angry about the person that cut in line, when I swear over some perceived slight, I make the world a little less holy. And that is what God wants for us; He wants us to be holy, to be the best version of ourselves.
We don’t need grand plans or sensational new ideas. The solutions to our problems have been around for centuries. To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, all we need to do is to be the change we want to see in the world.
We don’t have to wait. Be virtuous, every day. Start now.