Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Saints and Social Justice: A Guide to Changing the World by Brandon Vogt

Saints and Social Justice: A Guide to the Changing WorldSaints and Social Justice: A Guide to Changing the World by Brandon Vogt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The phrases "social justice" and "solidarity" could hardly have been more unwisely coined or adapted by the Catholic Church in my opinion. From the moment I heard them, they turned me off. I always thought they sounded like some lame department name you'd read about in a spy novel set in communist Russia. I mean really - solidarity? What does that even mean to the average person? Nothing.

However, if one digs deeper beneath the stiff, offputting phrases, one finds the heart of Christianity. They mean treating each person as if they belong, going out of one's way to find Christ in each individual, and following God's will (with Christ's help) to help each person one encounters. In other words, fully living your Christian life, whether as an individual or as part of the larger community.
“It’s good that you exist” — carries great power. To someone struggling with alcohol, who drinks away his loneliness, we say, “It’s good that you exist.” To someone who loathes her body and thinks she’s too fat, too skinny, too short, or not good enough, we say, “It’s good that you exist.” To the addict, the slave, the homeless man, even the murderer, we say, “It’s good that you exist.”

This phrase reminds people that they have intrinsic value, regardless of what they produce, or how they look, or if they have it all together. It echoes what God said immediately after creating the first man: “[He] looked at everything he had made, and found it very good” (Gn 1:31).

Next time you want to uplift someone’s dignity, remind them of that wonderful truth: “It’s good that you exist.”
This is ably illustrated by Brandon Vogt's book, which highlights 14 different saints whose lives were spent giving dignity and aid to the less fortunate. Ranging from housewives to priests, in all sorts of different life situations, these people were open enough to God's wishes to do extraordinary things. Vogt also does a great job of helping us relate by contrasting each saint with another one or two who lived out similar "missions" in different ways. He ends each section by relating these saints' larger missions to our own lives, so we can see where we might do more or act in ways that hadn't occurred to us previously.

He ends each section by relating these saints' larger missions to our own lives, so we can see where we might do more or act in ways that hadn't occurred to us previously. This is important because these saints achieved so much that we might feel any small drops of help we can achieve are not going to make a difference. Vogt's gentle questions and examples helps us see that our drops matter because all of them together add up to a large ocean.

And this, no matter what stupid phrase is used to describe it, is something dear to my heart, a lesson I've been learning a little better every day in my 14 years as a Catholic. Each time I've followed that internal prompting, despite my fears of not knowing enough or being rejected or looking stupid, I have been rewarded. My efforts have had effects, in their own small way, which I never could have imagined. And I have grown and changed for the better myself along the way.

I found this book really inspiring. I especially enjoyed the amount of detail Vogt gave for each saint. Even the ones I knew about, like Peter Claver, Frances of Rome, or Dorothy Day, took on unexpected meaning for me because I hadn't realized there was so much I didn't know about them. Of course, there were some who were brand new to me and I really enjoyed learning about their lives.

This is a well written and inspiring book and one that should help us understand that "social justice" and "solidarity" mean "living as a Christian" no matter what your condition in life.

Please Mr. Vogt, may I have another? Perhaps one about the martyrs? You pick the subject. I'll read it.

15 comments:

  1. Solidarity without subsidiarity is tyranny. I endlessly hear about solidarity but rarely about it's counter weight subsidiarity. If there is no subsidiarity there's no authentic respect, no freedom.

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    1. Subsidiarity is another of those words that mean absolutely nothing to me. I literally don't know what it means.

      Why is it that we can't use normal sounding phrases to talk about these issues? (Not addressing this to you, Sparrow, but to those who give us this vocabulary.)

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    2. I understand what you mean. In this case what I mean more simply is that social justice is a term used (abused?) by the left and solidarity is the companion term. It is often drawn into political battles. Subsidiarity is a little like federalism in that it shows respect for multiple approaches and its not overbearing or imposing. It's is the principle of local action, the smallest unit that is effective should be allowed to act without undue oversight. In effect the family decides how to act.

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    3. My husband told me that it is the guiding principle the Church has always used, which is that the lowest level possible of society ought to be the ones doing things. So, the individuals should be volunteering (for example), not the Church setting up the volunteer program and making sure everyone participates. Which is not well put, but anyway ... it reminded me that I do know the phrase, because every single time someone has to define it for me. :-D

      I think that Brandon did a good job in this book, up-front, of pointing out that social justice is abused actually by the right and the left, because they cherry pick their causes. He sweeps that away by showing us the saints and the difference the individuals made.

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    4. Your right in that social justice principles are abused politically, but I can't think of an example on the right where I think it's more likely to be ignored outright or ridiculed. Maybe you know of one, but the your point is true that politicians filter out only that which benefits them. Also I think of it this way; our social obligations are individual/personal in two senses. Each one of us is directly accountable to God on we personally help others and the poor especially. Also, helping the poor one to one face to face is IMO how we demonstrate love. Charity to be of God must be that way: personal.

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  2. I haven't seen "social justice" applied to the death penalty argument, but rather justice in the unmoderated sense.

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    1. See this is what I hate about using terms like "social justice" versus "justice." To me the death penalty and abortion are both life issues. Social justice? Justice? Take your pick. To me it is all an affront against life. To me these are things which one should stand up for and which concern human beings whom all fall under "it is good that you exist."

      I really recommend reading Brandon's book, or even trying the Kindle sample where he is talking about this issue, politics, and definitions.

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  3. That viewpoint is too simplified for me. I think the distinctions matter. If someone uses a clear cut honest term like justice I understand immediately what's meant. Unlike the phrase "social justice" which has to be explained. It's not clear and the user of that phrase should be aware of that and in fact may intend to use that ambiguity. So the mere use of a vague term is the entire point of my objection in the first place. If you can't say something clearly then either your own message is muddled or you intend to be evasive. In the case of the term social justice the historical Catholic meaning of the phrase has been distorted for political purposes for many years. Any author on the subject has a choice to address that fact or ignore it. It sounds as if Brandon addressed it directly; good for him. Even so I'm likely too conservative to tolerate a book like this unless it's quite unique.

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  5. The term is loaded because "social justice" depends on coercion and replaces charity. The exchange of charity for social justice does not feed our souls.

    I interviewed Brandon a few years ago and we had a discussion about his idea of social justice. I think he tries to separate the concept of social justice from government implementation, but that doesn't work in practice. I love Brandon, but I think the church's focus should be more on charity which is acts by the individual and the local church, than "justice" which is a function of the state.

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  6. Sparrow ... I also am pretty conservative. I recommend the book.

    SemperJase ... I hear you on the social justice and government practicality. A lot of what you say is motivated, it seems to me, by the word "justice." Which is one reason why I absolutely hate that phrase and never want to use it again. I would also say that "practicality" is outside of God's jurisdiction. These saints and we should be motivated by the Holy Spirit which often does not take our small views of what is practical into consideration. What Brandon wrote is all about acts of charity by individuals. Which is why it is a kick ass book. (Yeah I said it. Kick. Ass. I know you can take it! :-D)

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  7. "What Brandon wrote is all about acts of charity by individuals"
    That makes it worth exploring. Individual acts of charity are what we are all called to do - it's only the government driven programs which pretend to help that I oppose. Take out the political dimension and social justice is voluntarily practiced by the locals (recalling subsidiarity). That kind of Catholic social teaching is balanced: breathing with both lungs. Sounds very good; I'm interested again.

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    1. That was what impressed me. His examples of how to help change the world as individuals were all directed to each of us in everyday life. If something grew, of course, then one might involve parishes or the Church, just as these saints did (that is my own take, not his) if they belonged to religious orders. But it is about you yourself effecting change. Which is what I'm all about.

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    2. I just pre-ordered the book on Amazon, looking forward to reading it - thanks

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