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Who Cares?
I struggle with finding a term that helps define the society we live in today in the USA.
We’ve been struggling to find consensus as a nation and as a people for how we are to
live together, govern our nation, provide for our families, protect our young and care for
the weak and vulnerable.
Some see no role for government in these goals. And not everyone would agree with all
these goals for our society. But, at least in the six decades I’ve inhabited this green and
blue planet, these were the goals that were taught and valued among conservatives,
moderates and liberals.
But notably, that consensus seems to have fallen by the wayside in the past decade or
two. I’m not sure it was fear of terrorism, anger at the investor class, opposition to
climate change, shock from the housing collapse in 2008, or a combination of things.
Some concurring factors seem to have made us a less caring, more self-centered,
much harsher people as a whole.
Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel and was informed that she had found favor in
God’s eyes and that “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name
him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord
God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.” (Luke 1:30-32)
Such an announcement to a young girl. Her response is telling: “How can this be, since
I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34) I think this is probably a overly composed account of what
was going through her mind!
But later, after going out of town to visit her cousin Elizabeth, herself with a miraculous
pregnancy, Mary responds with a summation of God’s will for humanity that parallels the
prophets of old and the promise of the coming Messiah:
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has
looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all
generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for
me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation
to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the
proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful
from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with
good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant
Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our
ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Called the Magnificat (from the Latin for magnifies), this radical pronouncement of how
the reign of God’s is to reorder the world. The proud will be humbled, the powerful
brought down, the lowly lifted up, the hungry are fed and the rich sent away empty.
I came across a letter to the editor in the Post today that seems to express what I
believe has become an apt description of our American society today. It was in
response to a column about a Michigan roofer’s plan to end the housing crisis
(Dec. 10, 2024 by Heather Long). Among the responses to this column was one from
Dana Pearsall, a builder and real estate agent in Palm Beach, Florida. Seeing the title and
location, I admit I was expecting something different than what I read. But he or she
(hard to tell from the first name Dana) related that, as a person who had long been
concerned about the people displaced by gentrification and others priced out of the
housing market, they were shocked by the response at a cocktail party to a comment
about a new development taking over a historically underserved area.
I said the new structures were nice but then asked what would happen to the
people who currently live there. One woman – and I will never forget – said,
“Who cares?”
That’s it, isn’t it? Who cares? It doesn’t affect me. It can be someone else’s problem.
Who Cares? That’s my new name for our society today. No longer bound by norms or
ethics or compassion or restraint. No longer do we value the neighbor, the common
good, the effects of our decisions on others.
I wonder what Mary would say to us?
Shalom.
Pr. Mark
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