Scapegoating and Social Violence

Who is to blame?

I am.

Each one of us indulge into in the scapegoating instinct. We blame our parents. We blame our spouse. We blame our kids. We blame our neighbor. We blame our boss. We blame our kids’ teacher. We blame the pastor. We blame the police. We blame the president. We blame the bishop. We blame anybody and everybody.

Who is to blame?

I am

One of the greatest feats of concise and profound writing is Chesterton’s famous letter to The Times. The editors had asked what is wrong with the world, and the portly prophet wrote,

Dear Sir,

What is wrong with the world?

I am

Yours Sincerely,

G.K.Chesterton

What is the solution? The only solution is a heart of repentance.

The simplicity of the Christian solution is to never shift the blame, but to always take the blame. The very first step of all is to say with one’s whole heart, mind and strength, I am part of this. I want to pick this up and offer this up somehow for the world’s redemption.

Repentance is not simply saying “Sorry” for the naughty things I’ve done, but it is saying “Sorry” for the sins of the whole world. It is saying with the Lord Christ, “I will not shift the blame. I will take the blame.”

The only prayer is the repetition like a heartbeat of “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on me a Sinner.”

Finally, this is what I should do every time I celebrate Mass and this is what every Catholic should do every time they go to Mass: they should be taking not just their sins and worries and doubts and fears to the forgiving altar of God, but they should, in their own humble way be bringing the sins of the whole world.

Each one of us should be bringing these burdens and putting them on the altar and allowing the great transaction of Christ’s death gather them up yet again bringing even a glimmer of reconciliation and hope to a world locked in the endless cycle of violence, revenge and blame.