Scottish Catholic Observer

It is interesting to observe how divisive and polemical modern culture has become. Of course, this is nothing new. I suspect that in any poll ever conducted the ‘strongly agree’ or ‘strongly disagree’ camps far outnumber the meek and mild ‘agree’ or ‘disagree.’ Who wants to be a middle-ground moderate ­anyway!

Perhaps this is simply part of our human nature. Our opinions and beliefs don’t need much encouragement to be let out of the box when required.

Nonetheless, this polarised culture seems to have gained new pace in recent times, most notably in the world of politics. The greatest gains of European political parties in the last decade have all been seen in the far Left and far Right. The middle ground in politics is becoming increasingly hard to find.

This is particularly true in President Trump’s America or in our own highly combative Brexit debates. Few attempts are made to see the good in opposing sides, or to work together, constructively, in a spirit of cooperation for a ­common goal. When the language of conflict is the order of the day, the result is only deeper and wider divisions.

To steal a word from Scripture, it can seem that ‘a great gulf has been fixed to prevent someone from passing from one side to the other… even if they wanted to,’ (Luke 16:26).

Of course, this kind of entrenched them-and-us approach is not restricted to politics. It’s given oxygen every day by a constant stream of social media sound bites, which often create a ­feeding frenzy of vitriol and poison.

If ever you need proof of the raging polemics of social media you need only read the first few comments of any news feed on Facebook or Twitter.

Things get especially spiky when debates steer into moral arguments. Sincerely held beliefs are often lost within the barrage of colourful language which often replaces concrete debate with personal and sustained attacks. At times contributors lose all enthusiasm for the original debate and focus instead on tit-for-tat point scoring.

Unfortunately this is not something Christians are insulated against. It’s easy to be whipped into frenzy when we come up against something with which we strongly disagree. And yet we must try to do better, to communicate differently, to change the culture around us.

This does not, of course, mean remaining silent to injustice. Such a view ignores the clear Gospel command to act in the face of injustice. A Christian is required to ‘unmute’ when we see wrongdoing. The Gospel ­compels us to speak truth in love.

The manner of our speaking-up, however, is immensely important and requires ­particular gifts. Wisdom not only guides us to know when to speak and when to keep our own counsel; it also gives us the grace to know how to speak ‘with a disciple’s tongue’ to use St Paul’s own words.

“If I speak without love… I am ­simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing.” St Paul’s words can become the tagline for every human encounter.

And yet charity is not the only ­inspiration for human conduct. Charity and truth must co-exist in our communication. They are not opposing sides in difficult conversations and one is not promoted at the expense of another. Nor is truth strong and charity weak. Both must live harmoniously within our debates, lest they become aggressively partisan and divisive.

If this is a challenge for the average Christian then it is even more so for a priest who is called to teach and preach the Faith in an increasingly secular culture.

In my short seven years as a priest I have observed how easily the clergy can offend the personal morality of some Catholics. It is a strange phenomenon that, surprisingly, is gaining some pace within our Catholic communities.

While it is, of course, true that we do not always get the tone or the vocabulary right in homilies, our commission to teach and preach the unchanging and essential truth of the Gospel is a principal characteristic of our priesthood.

It seems strange that some Catholics should be so surprised that priests teach the counter-cultural, challenging and radical Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Priests will know well the scenario of a parishioner approaching after Mass to ‘have a quiet word’ about something said in a homily.

I have become increasingly content with the response: “I’m afraid you will have to take it up with the Lord. It’s not my Gospel.” Or: “If it’s any consolation, it’s a message firstly for me!”

Consider the scenario. If our pulpits do not give voice to the challenges of the Gospel then we are failing in our solemn duty given to us at ordination.

This commission also encompasses teaching moral truth about marriage and the family, abortion, sexual ethics and a host of other issues, which touch upon the dignity of human life. Such preaching naturally enters the sphere of personal choices, lifestyle and behaviour.

In truth, these are enormous ­challenges to the personal morality of many Catholics. Lots of people will struggle to accept the ideals of the Christian faith. Some may even be incensed at the idea that the Church challenges contemporary culture and its hedonistic values.

‘How can the Church still uphold these teachings in the ­modern day’ is an expression, which has found favour among some Catholics.

Truth in love is the essence of our teaching ministry. Priests cannot expect our people to embrace a true culture of life if we do not preach the difficult parts of the Gospel as well.

At times we need to ‘unmute’ our pulpits and engage positively with the challenging issues of our time, promoting the ideals set out by the Lord Himself. We have a joyful, positive, hope-filled message to give our world. It’s a message bursting with life and beauty.

Yet we must always resist the sound bite, polemical approach so widespread in the politics and media of our modern culture, which never succeeds in getting to the heart of essential arguments, and carefully avoid falling into rhetoric, which is not life giving and hopeful.

The tightrope we walk is twofold: to uphold the truth of the Gospel, which will be rejected by many; and to speak our message with fraternal love, and with a ­‘disciple’s tongue.’ It’s a balancing act that will inevitably bring small successes and even greater failures along the way.

St John Chrysostom, the Church Father and renowned teacher and preacher of the fourth century, gained his strange name because of his ­so-called ‘golden tongue.’

His charity and eloquence gave fuel to his arguments. He is a wise father and great example who can guide and inspire us as we make our own ­contribution within the public square of ideas.

His ‘golden tongue’ approach can reap enormous benefits in our politics, our media, and even our pulpits and so slowly change this negative and ­divisive culture that ­surrounds us. ‘Truth in love’ is always our aim.