Ruminations from a Roman Ruin

A common past is hard to come by in a country whose people arrived scattershot by way of

the Mayflower, the Middle Passage, and the Mexican border. Despite our
differences, America stands for ideals of equality, even if Jefferson’s
old saw that, “All men are created equal” did not include all
people. Through the ideal of equality, Americans share a common past,
despite lacking a common history.

I visited Rome recently, with friends. Over the course of an hour
our
conversation moved from religion to politics — not inappropriate in a
city dominated by the ghost of empire both Papal and Roman.  While
standing in the ruins of the forum a question arose: What are the
internal causes of an empire’s decline?

To be sure,
there are many causes — too many for this column. For the Papacy it was
the perceived corruption that led to the reformation. For Rome,
decadence and internal power struggles weakened the empire from the
inside, while outside threats dismantled it. In both cases there was a
disconnect between the people and the powerful that weakened the
empire’s communities. Eventually those communities separated themselves
from the empire.

Communities are
more than a group of individuals working for an economic outcome.
Communities are complex interrelations that shape individuals who, in
turn, shape the community. When a significant group of people feel that
their interests are not valued by the community at large, communities
begin to break down.  Take the Revolutionary War as an example.  The colonies believed that England did not take its interest in political representation seriously, and decided to secede from the kingdom.  It did so, despite many commonalities with England — enough commonality to divide families and require brothers to face
each other on the field of battle.

So how should we
define community? 

I submit that a key part of community is shared value
for a common past, shared understanding about current needs, and a
shared value for a future outcome. A common past is
hard to come by in a country whose people arrived scattershot by way of
the Mayflower, the Middle Passage, and the Mexican border. Despite our
differences, America stands for ideals of equality, even if Jefferson’s
old saw that, “All men are created equal” did not include all
people. Through the ideal of equality, Americans share a common past,
despite lacking a common history.

Understanding
about current needs is not academic. It comes from empathy — from
realizing that we all have difficulties, pain, and sorrow in our lives.
In so doing, we can begin to appreciate the significance of other
people’s problems. If nothing else, having an empathetic understanding
for the problems of others keeps us from dismissing them out of
hand. Empathy humanizes the plight of others.

Shared value for
a future outcome is tied to a valued past and a capacity for
empathy. In valuing the ideal of equality, we put it to work in our
lives. Having empathy for the needs of others allows us to question
both the outcomes of our own actions and how we may be of immediate
help in a situation of suffering. In this way, equality and empathy
give rise to hope for a better future for our communities because these
principles move us to action.

The Bush
administration does not believe this. At best, Bush believes in
compassionate conservatism — hollow lip service not backed by action,
and America is suffering because of it. We are divided. Red states/blue
states. Tax cuts and cut backs. Big words for Katrina victims, but
little action in rebuilding the New Orleans levies, even a year later. 

Worse yet, recent
polls show that people’s belief in government’s ability to respond
effectively to this type of inequality and corruption is at an all-time
low. The administration is ineffective at addressing the problems of
working people because its heart is not in it. The Bushes can’t act
domestically because domestic action goes against their political and
economic philosophy—why should government help people when
self-interest can?

Bush’s failures don’t mean that government can’t help; they just mean that the wrong people are running the government.

The government is an extension of us and our
communities. There should not be a disconnect between the needs of the
people and the will of the powerful. Government should be in the
business of helping tie communities together and should be proactive in
helping communities address their problems. 

As a Christian I believe
that no one should be abandoned to self-interest because we are to love
each other as ourselves. This love is the work of Christ. Love and its
effect on community animates the Christian message and is the story of
the early church. 
We must engage
each other — building bridges to each other, understanding each other’s
problems and helping to address them. Because the government is an
extension of ourselves and our communities, we should expect no less
from it.