Making it Personal (Part 2)
As I progress in my own piecing together of what unraveled for me after the outcome of last week’s presidential election, I’m hopeful it is helpful in helping you put your world back together. As we “Make It Personal”, I suggest you look towards a healthy turning in and sort how you can learn from the election and improve as a person.
In the last blog, I advised the first step is to ensure that your personal financial house is in or you are in the process of making it so. The second step is to pay attention to what this election revealed about the state of the souls of those around you and take appropriate action.
I had a disheartening interaction with a close family member two days before the election. Over the campaign he started expressing that he liked the anti-life candidate’s policies, but that he still wouldn’t vote for him because of the pro-life issues. With time he proudly announced at our dinner table he did plan to vote for President Obama. I asked him how he reconciles that with the Church’s pro-life stance. He rationalized that he plans to deal with the pro-life issue next time. I challenged him that there is no next time; it’s just now. This kind of justification reveals either seared consciences, poor spiritual formation, and blinding pride—all not the greatest mix for ending up in heaven.
Voting selection makes a statement about where the person is spiritually. Spiritual “diagnoses” could range from having poor spiritual formation, to selectively listening and applying the Church teachings, and ultimately knowing the Church’s teachings and the gravity of the matter (mortal sin) but choosing self-will over God’s will anyway.
If someone you love is off-track, God may be calling you to be aware and in a more urgent way to let God use you to help bring this person back on course. A presidential term is but four years; a spiritual miscalculation could very well lead to a miserable eternity to regret that it was not worth it.
The Catholic Women’s Guide to Healthy Relationships Tip: Note those in your circle of influence who voted pro-choice to see if God might be wanting you to be a light for them out of darkness.
