When Civility Hangs on a Frayed Thread

The 2016 Presidential election seems to have taken public ethics to a new low. One wonders whether civility can or will return to the public sector of politics. It leads directly to the chicken and the egg question of civility and ethics. Which comes first? Does the larger social and political arena determine the local and regional ethical worlds in which we live, or does the local and regional ethical worlds determine the larger world ethic?

A Lutheran Christian view of human nature would argue for the local and regional worlds bringing about the lowering of national standards. All politics is local. After all our presidential candidates are human beings, along with each person in our society and world. As sinful human beings looking out for themselves candidates are driven to maximize their power and authority over other human beings. Self-interest may lead to civility, but if the average person comes to accept bringing down another person in order to lift up the candidacy of the self, self-interest will lead to incivility. That seems to be the nature and tone of the 2016 presidential election.

At the same time one must consider the social aspect of the election. Is it possible for human beings to want to serve other human beings in positions of power for the sake of the others? This question seems to reflect on whether or not it is possible to do an altruistic act. If one is at the same time righteous and sinful, it is possible for an altruistic act through the Holy Spirit working in an individual or even in society. The important thing is to see that the power for good is from outside ourselves, and not generated by our own self will.

What we have learned from this election cycle is that the high road that Michelle Obama talks about is very hard to take. If you watch two young children respond to one another in sharing (or not sharing) something they both value, you can see the propensity to selfishness. When both desire the object or objects that could be shared, civility breaks down. Perhaps what we have seen in the 2016 election cycle is a result of the anxiety brought about by human beings in the world today not getting what they need most—the security brought about by having a reasonable assurance that most bad things will be thwarted and that our society will reflect the best hopes and good intentions of human beings. This brings us back to our selfish childish ways of name calling and blaming others. Civility hangs on a frayed thread.

Certainly there is enough blame to go around for civility being at a low today. Although it is always tempting to blame the outsider/others, we must say that every human being is responsible for society as it is today. We may not be one of the presidential candidates, but we do take sides and point fingers and share the blame for what has taken place, and will continue to take place. Meanwhile the healthiest place for individuals and the society is to realize our shortcomings and draw near to God for grace and forgiveness. In doing so we commit ourselves to accepting diversity in our world today. We strive for the Holy Spirit to more greatly take over our individual lives so that we can live together in civility in our greater community. If we do, we may help to bring about better government and a more positive environment following this difficult election cycle.