Community and reality

Everyday we are subjected to oppressive demands from the artificiality which characterises our societies. Today, climate change and its corresponding taxation are leading us to focus our lives upon an idea of human community as a basis for living, traditionally advocated by socialists, and further away from the essential basis of human community.

Any idea of human community, when placed next to the actual reality of human community, will always be somewhat unreal. Human community does not lie 'out there', but has its origin and its essence in the family. Nor is there a tax owed to governments for this essential human endeavour. Our contemporary societies are misplacing their focus.

The Gospel, on the other hand, invites us to consider all our relationships as agencies of Christ - how can we be brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers to each other. Such a call applies to the whole social community, but most of all it applies to the family. Here, and not in the Committees of the State, do we find the whole focus of human community.
Aidan Nichols in his book "Christendom Awake" has a superb chapter entitled "A society of households", in which he presents the foundational truth about all political and social life. How, for instance, this first community can live in such a way that it respects the order and providence of creation, living frugally and always seeking God's light. In Australia for instance, a third of women have had an abortion. How unreal is that!

The advocates of the global community and governments who apply more and more tax are not the leaders we need in the world right now. We should not allow our focus to be diverted by political trends or neuroses. We need leaders who will lead us to rediscover our identity as human beings, created and redeemed, and to grow in our family relationships first. Christian spouses - may God bless and lead you all!