Some Berry

“Condemnation by category is the lowest form of hatred, for it is cold-hearted and abstract, lacking even the courage of a personal hatred. Categorical condemnation is the hatred of the mob. It makes cowards brave. And there is nothing more fearful than a religious mob, a mob overflowing with righteousness – as at the crucifixion and before and since. This can happen only after we have made a categorical refusal to kindness: to heretics, foreigners, enemies or any other group different from ourselves.”

— Wendell Berry, ‘2012 Jefferson Lecture for the National Endowment for the Humanities’ (painting: Maxo Vanka, ‘The Immigrants’)

I was reminded of this mural by Maxo Vanka, painted in St. Nicholas Church in Millvale, PA, as well as Berry’s NEH lecture, after writing up a commentary on the Democratic debate in Florida last night. I was struck by the stark contrast between this debate between Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton on the one hand — which despite their serious differences (I’m very fond of Sanders and very opposed to Clinton) they focused on substance, policy, the needs of people and the challenges they face, as well as the duties of our political leaders to take those challenges seriously with all their complexities and nuances — and the Republican debates on the other. The latter of which have been rife with scapegoating outside groups such as immigrants, Muslims, gays and people of color; puerile playground insults hurled at one another; and shameless fearmongering. 

So being especially appropriate today, and all the more so this Lenten season, I simply wanted to share them together.