My houses of belief took big hits this week.
The Conservative Party of Canada's loose coalition was strained almost to the breaking point by the exit of Maxime Bernier, the runner-up in the leadership race that saw Andrew Sheer win last year. And in matters divine, the Roman Catholic Church has been rocked by another sexual abuse scandal, the knowledge and suppression of which reaches all the way to the Vatican and Pope Francis according to sources.
The nature of belonging to any congregation or standing for any idea invites a testing of our fidelity; the most basic proof of this is our closest relationships, often tested by our own or another's behavior, and even the beliefs people hold dear.
Nonetheless, to my fellow Tories and Papists, I fully admit that these latest volleys of awful news and their repercussions are cause for even the most stalwart to doubt, let alone falter in their duties to, church and state.
I'm not interested in discussing the narratives or comparing the evidence - we live in an age where we have unlimited access to all knowledge: go form your own opinion (then preach it on Youtube and see if you can earn ad revenue). But I will, as I am wont, preempt the typical actions that follow these events, and give hardy warnings to those who have ears to hear.
For the "cleanse the temple" types, it must be admitted that this strategy invariably fails: people forget that the moneychangers came back the very next day, even after Our Lord's harsh rebuke, just as Israel repeatedly left God for idols, and every civilization drifts from ascendancy towards decline.
I am not saying there is no point in punishment - unlike the Pope, I support the death penalty - but no amount of chasing out the snakes beats sound walls and vigilance.
To the "doomsayers," while I deeply sympathize with you on several counts, the fact of the matter is that life goes on: every age has its scandals and crises, yet people who wish to survive do find a way to continue and most institutions are indeed preserved.
The old joke about the church is that it must be protected by God given how long its lasted while being run by the worst kinds of people; much of the same can be said for political regimes or philosophical ideals.
Of course it must be stated without caveat that no amount of tragedy and loss can be taken as an excuse to be overzealous to the point of becoming idealogues or resigning to a life of despair - which far too often resembles puerile complacency.
Life is tragic, but that is not an invitation to embrace nihilism, nor the inauguration of my own crusade for paradise on earth. I would be remiss if I didn't point out these options are both idolatry: of myself or of my creation.
Is there a right course of action? Of course there is, but as always, it is by the narrow door and the widow's mite - it's subtle. What sowed the seeds that eventually grew into the twisted brambles of the current crises?
Unfaithfulness - to the creed, to one's vows, to the rules of the game, to the cardinal virtues, to the basic notions of morality. Life, eternal and temporal, is a matter of becoming unto Heaven or unto Hell - we are our thoughts, words, then actions.
When others break their faith, oaths and commitment, all we can do is keep ours - and perhaps be smarter about who we do business with next. Vengeance sought in earnest brings us into a Hobbesian state of nature, just as resignation simply turns us into hollow men muttering to ourselves, drifting through life. What keeps the lights on are precisely the actions by people who, despite their own failings and frustrations, continue to keep their promises to one another.
In the end, keeping the faith and praying for our enemies is the correct response to these issues.
Partly, it keeps us from falling into viciousness ourselves; but it also reminds us we are often another's enemy.
