Is 2016 America's "Dark Night of the Soul?"

[Fantine]

I believe we can get needed perspective on our national life from Catholic spirituality’s understanding of “dark night” experiences. The dark night, in Carmelite spirituality and the teaching of St. John of the Cross, is a metaphor for a period of profound unraveling, intense disorientation, and deep crisis. When all that we turn to for security, identity, and meaning is severely challenged—if not ripped away—we feel naked, vulnerable, and lost.....
This dark night of current politics might be the bright lens that we need to see clearly how some faith leaders have allowed religious discourse to become hijacked to serve the narrow interests of a political party. Perhaps this time of national turmoil, embarrassment, and crisis is the harsh revelation of the folly of an uncritical allegiance to political parties.

God’s love is subversive and destructive; it exposes self-serving political ideologies as shortsighted and corrosive.

- See more at: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/...,+2016&utm_medium=email#sthash.qaHpLV7q.dpuf- See more at: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/...3,+2016&utm_medium=email#sthash.qaHpLV7q.dpuf

 

[AvilaSurfer]

No.

 

[Fantine]

Perhaps, then, the “grace” of this time is the revelation of how toxic our political environment has truly become, in order to spur us to build a new political culture based not on the exploitation of fear but on solidarity with and for the least among us. - See more at: http://www.uscatholic.org/articles/...,+2016&utm_medium=email#sthash.qaHpLV7q.dpuf-

I realize the idea that this dark night of the soul is meant to make Americans more compassionate and generous people is a troubling idea for some.

 

[Chesterton]

Americans are pretty much the most compassionate and generous people on earth.

 

[Fantine]

Americans are pretty much the most compassionate and generous people on earth.

Think about how many refugees we have taken in compared to other industrialized nations in Europe.

Think about how many people want to build a fence on the Mexican border.

Think about how much less we give in foreign aid to third world countries than other wealthy countries--even though eradicating poverty stunts terrorism, we'd rather wage wars.

Think about how many suspicious people believe they must carry guns to protect themselves against others.

I know that evangelicals donate a lot of money to their churches, but I wonder if they are giving people what they really need. I knew a Baptist college group that went to Haiti after the earthquake for a week. A young man spoke about their experience. In 7 days they spent one afternoon "cleaning up a beach" and their primary activity was teaching children about Jesus.

"Do you know that Haiti is 85% Catholic?" I asked him. "Do you know that 85% of the children know about Jesus? In the meantime, did you notice their homes reduced to rubble, their hunger, their poverty?"

It took all my mental fortitude not to ask him, "Are you insane?"

Later I read that many fundamentalist mission organizations say, "It's OK to build schools, because we can teach children about Jesus in schools, but don't waste your time building homes, or hospitals, or teaching people how to farm."

I am not saying Americans are without compassion, but we certainly could stand to improve.

 

[AvilaSurfer]

Americans are pretty much the most compassionate and generous people on earth.

Yup. The statistics prove that despite the post that followed yours.

 

[Fantine]

Yup. The statistics prove that despite the post that followed yours.

References, please?

 

[AvilaSurfer]

References, please?

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

 

[Archivist]

According to the Charitiers Aid Foundation's 2016 World Giving Index, the most charitable nation on Earth is Myanmar. The US takes second place. You can find the details here: http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...guess-the-most-charitable-nation-in-the-world

 

[Starcrystal]

I may not be Catholic and I do not believe 'dark night of the soul" is just political, but 2016 is pretty dark...the outlook is also dark..I have seen everything from dark misunderstandings in personal relationships to even darker misunderstandings and war talk between major nations, which starts to become scary. The fact nations are now talking of nuclear war and building bigger weapons is not anything I have seen since the cold war. On top of that you a political soup that seems to pretty much stink

 

[graceandpeace]

I'm troubled by one of the likely presidential nominees. The catastrophe his election could inflict on foreign affairs, the military, the LGBT community, the environment, & much more is a dark prospect indeed.

But on the positive side, regardless of who is elected as president or to congress, America is charitable & there is much goodness & freedom in this nation to be thankful for. I just hope we can try to move forward for the benefits of all people & especially future generations.

 

[grandvizier1006]

Frankly, I'm scared people will forget Christ in the name of moving forward into a better world where our short, earthly lives are fun and meaningful, but afterwards...that's it.

 

[grandvizier1006]

Think about how many refugees we have taken in compared to other industrialized nations in Europe.

Think about how many people want to build a fence on the Mexican border.

Think about how much less we give in foreign aid to third world countries than other wealthy countries--even though eradicating poverty stunts terrorism, we'd rather wage wars.

Think about how many suspicious people believe they must carry guns to protect themselves against others.

I know that evangelicals donate a lot of money to their churches, but I wonder if they are giving people what they really need. I knew a Baptist college group that went to Haiti after the earthquake for a week. A young man spoke about their experience. In 7 days they spent one afternoon "cleaning up a beach" and their primary activity was teaching children about Jesus.

"Do you know that Haiti is 85% Catholic?" I asked him. "Do you know that 85% of the children know about Jesus? In the meantime, did you notice their homes reduced to rubble, their hunger, their poverty?"

It took all my mental fortitude not to ask him, "Are you insane?"

Later I read that many fundamentalist mission organizations say, "It's OK to build schools, because we can teach children about Jesus in schools, but don't waste your time building homes, or hospitals, or teaching people how to farm."

I am not saying Americans are without compassion, but we certainly could stand to improve.

I think that's a bit presumptuous in regards to missionary work. I'm sure there are plenty of churches that do the best they can in other countries, whether that is food drives (my church in Mississippi does this for our poor neighborhoods), church planting or just spending time with the children whose parents won't or can't care for them. I should also mention the numerous Christian couples that adopted babies, mainly unwanted girl babies, from China, as well as Haitian orphans. Not every church can afford to build a hospital, and if people start taxing churches outside of mega churches then there might not be enough money left for mission trips.

Just because it's not on the news doesn't mean that it isn't happening. Don't discount christianity in America just yet. There's also the fact that as American society becomes more affluent, less people are willing to give--or, due to income inequality, they can't.

 

[Starcrystal]

I'm troubled by one of the likely presidential nominees. The catastrophe his election could inflict on foreign affairs, the military, the LGBT community, the environment, & much more is a dark prospect indeed.

But on the positive side, regardless of who is elected as president or to congress, America is charitable & there is much goodness & freedom in this nation to be thankful for. I just hope we can try to move forward for the benefits of all people & especially future generations.

Both are troubling... and best thing we can do is not support sin and candy coat it with cute little politically correct names and labels...
We should support the environment, that is a God given duty from Genesis to Revelation,
But when people start supporting and promoting sin in the name of God, no human endeavors will save anyone.

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

According to the Charitiers Aid Foundation's 2016 World Giving Index, the most charitable nation on Earth is Myanmar. The US takes second place. You can find the details here: http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...guess-the-most-charitable-nation-in-the-world

Myanmar isn't that country still having an ongoing civil war? how is that possible?

 

[Archivist]

Myanmar isn't that country still having an ongoing civil war? how is that possible?

Actually the government signed a ceasefire with some, but not all, of the insurgent groups last yaer. However, does the fact that they are having a Civil War mean that people can't be charitable? Did charity cease in the US during our Civil War?

 

[Sketcher]

Well, with all the celebrity deaths, maybe. Mohammed Ali and Gordie Howe in the space of a week.