The Need to Revive Humanity

by Bob Dare, Command Sergeant Major, US Army, Retired

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to hear the Catholic chaplain for Georgia Tech discuss concerns about the social, cultural, and political challenges facing the nation. His message was that during times of turbulence faith should be the bond that keeps us strong and able to weather these inevitable storms of life. After concluding his remarks, he allowed questions and immediately a young man jumped up and exclaimed, “Father, I think we have lost God!”. The Chaplain gave thought to the pronouncement before countering, “No, you cannot lose God. God is with us regardless of the situation. God is omnipotent and omnipresent. Mortal man cannot displace God. I think what we have lost is our humanity.” I was awestruck with the Priest’ response and have been since because I believe it is a very accurate depiction of what was then and continues today to be a bane plaguing our country.

I am not a fatalist, but I would be less than honest if I did not express my concern for what, in my opinion, is a lack of humanity and humane behavior. It is unimaginable to me that freedom can ring out or survive in this land without respect, tolerance, compassion and, I would say, love for one another. From my view of the landscape moral nihilism is prevailing over civic friendship and civil decency.

I am the first to admit that being a human being and acting humanely is not that easy if you do not begin with a foundation of love for others. It has often been said that if you do not love people, you cannot lead them. I endorse that philosophy and add that if you do not love people, you will find it difficult to find joy and happiness in your life. I do not imply that you must tolerate criminal or anti-social behavior. I do, however, strongly believe that the existing diversity and cultural differences embedded in this country have made America the unique nation that it is. To add a little levity and a little history consider the hotdog. Hotdogs evolved from European sausages brought by German immigrants to New York in the 1800s. What would America be without the hotdog? I cannot imagine a backyard barbeque, a sporting event or a country fair without hotdogs being present and consumed by the pounds. This is a very small, simple, and some might say, a silly example of what diversity contributes, but I ask, what would America be without the hotdog? The point is, our history is a history of diverse people making countless contributions in food, art, business, education and more, and the sum of those contributions go a long way in defining America. And diversity would have never succeeded if humanity had not been practiced generally. (There is no argument that our history has many examples of inhumanity, but those acts were ultimately corrected through humanity in practice.)

Humans require connection, interaction, and a sense of belonging, we require love. It’s time to revisit the disciplines of listening to understand, to exercise compassion and concern, to engage in civil discourse when there is a difference of opinion or beliefs. We cannot continue this course of division and unacceptance. In the words of the mystic and monk, Thomas Merton, “Societal order depends on the love existent in the society.”