November 5 is election day, and the weeks leading up to it can be a very stressful time for people. Political rhetoric will surely intensify as Americans prepare to choose to whom we want to entrust the enormous power that comes with political office in our country. Aware of how this can affect us, Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. recently offered what I think are seven helpful tips for surviving the political season.
- Take stock of your emotions – Because it affects our future as a society, including our families, there can be a lot of emotional and psychological turmoil around politics. It’s important to understand that the media cycle and the political process often seek to manipulate us by fomenting excessive fear and outrage as well as excessive hope and excitement. Fr. Pine counsels us to be aware of how the news affects us and to guard our peace in order to keep from being overwhelmed.
- Take stock of your attention – Political news coverage can be all-consuming. It’s good to be aware of how much time we spend following politics and moderate it so that it does not unduly distract us from work and family responsibilities. Fr. Pine suggests that we regulate the content we consume, exercising proper caution towards sources of information that tend to feed off our sense of outrage.
- Take stock of your agency – Human beings are political actors with real agency. We should use our agency to engage charitably with others, avoiding bombast and intentionally inflammatory language. We might also decide to counter feelings of helplessness by getting involved in local politics, where we can better experience our agency and impact the political process.
- Check “contrariety” – Our allegiances to politicians and political parties can sometimes lead us to adopt or change our stances on issues based on who is advocating for them rather than on principle. Fr. Pine cautions against picking a side on an issue based solely on the personalities involved. We should try to engage the substance of an issue, rather than endorse or oppose a policy only because our preferred candidate does.
- Check whitewashing – No candidate is perfect; they all have flaws. This is to be expected. When we refuse to acknowledge the real limitations of our preferred candidate, Fr. Pine says, we can look foolish and lose credibility.
- Check apocalyptic thinking – Politicians and media outlets benefit from language that suggests all of history hangs in the balance with the next election. While the political process is important because of the very serious challenges we face, we don’t want to overhype its significance. God is in control.
- Remember what politics is – Politics, Fr. Pine reminds us, is the “art of the possible.” We must exercise prudence, engaging the issues and getting involved as citizens to the extent we can to promote the common good. But politics is not the means of our salvation. It is instead a common project by which we try to the best of our ability to address the needs of our society and its members in accord with what we are as God’s human creatures.
One might say, in his advice on surviving the political season, Fr. Pine is building on the famous counsel of St. Padre Pio: pray, hope, exercise prudence and charity, vote, and don’t worry.
posted 10/12/24
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 