Romney Wordsworth

I've been reading The Gospel According to America by David Dark. Today I read with interest about a Twilight Zone episode featuring a character named Romney Wordsworth. Wordsworth, a librarian, is considered obsolete by the society he lives in and is condemned to death. He argues passionately that he has value simply by being a human being who contributes his own perspective and unique thoughts to society. This point is at the heart of Dark's book which decries the stark polarization of American society at the moment. Here is part of what I read today:

In the wide world of sports, brand namees, wrestiling, and presidential campaigns, we won't usually go broke selling a sense of belonging. But just becasue we can sell T-shirts and bumper stickers and win elections with a sense of outrage doesn't mean we have to give in to its tactics. When America's public discourse is reduced to two parties trying to outshout each other concerning how angry they are about other people's evil, the mantras inevitably work their way into out conversations with spouses, neighbors, brothers, and sisters. We need Romney Wordsworth who reminds us that we live our lives under the gaze of a just God who knows our innermost thoughts as if we were shouting them, who opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, and who notices our hateful words even after we've learned to surround ourselves with people who talk the same way. It will cost him his life, but Wordsorth will offer the demystifying, prophetic word. It's always costly.

God's opposition of the proud and giving grace to the humble reminds me of Mary's song, the Magnificat, when she learns she is pregnant with Jesus. So it is a wonderful Advent admonition to be humble. This is a great season to cease our shouting, to move beyond party lines and seek peace on earth by starting with the person who holds an opposing view sitting in the next booth at the coffee shop. Dark encourages the kind of dialogue that can take place in a coffee shop. The rules are simple: keep your voice down (people are trying to eat and drink in peace), remember that you will see these people again since they live in your community, and see the person not the stereotype. This sort of civil discourse is sadly absent in much of the media and certainly in politics. But as individuals we don't need to ape such bad behavior.