Virtue
Thursday, October 23, 2014
2:47 PM
The church influences the society through its attention to virtue.  Ancient Greek philosophers did not distinguish between the personal ethics of an individual and the social ethics of the polis.  Thomas Aquinas (13th Century Theologian who retrieved Plato and Aristotle) wrote, "“The object for which a community is gathered is to live a virtuous life. For men to consort together that they may thus attain a fullness of life which would not be possible to each living singly: and the full life is one which is lived according to virtue. The object of human society is the virtuous life." (quoted in Robin Gill, Handbook of Christian Ethics, p. 160). To the extent that we are effective in shaping the virtue of the participants of democracy, we influence politics.  
Let us just consider on possible virtue and how it might influence the polis.  In Colossians 3:13 we read, "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  This admonition comes within a series of instructions about how people are to live together.  These sections of epistles are sometimes called "virtue catalogs" as they give a listing of virtues that are to mark both the individual believer and the community of faith (the congregation).  This is not an isolated teaching in the New Testament other relevant passages would be (Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; Ephesians 4:25-26, 31-5:2). Looking through the whole of the New Testament, we would see a number of specific teachings and general principles related to this impulse to resolve differences.  We would also see that there is a lot of instruction about reconciling the differences that lie at a social level.  The biggest conflict in the community of the early church was between Jews and Gentiles.  But there was also tension between rich and poor.  
We might label this particular virtue the impulse to reconcile.   If we look at two specific teachings of Jesus, we would see a model for how this virtue is practiced.  Jesus instructed the Disciples to "first be reconciled to your brother or sister" (Matthew 5:24).  In this first instance, the issue concerns those times when the person knows they have wronged another or when they recognize that another perceives them to have wronged them.  In a later teaching, Jesus addressed the other side of the coin--when a brother or sister within the community of faith has sinned against the believer (Matthew 18:15-20).  In both instances, the teaching seems to be that conflict should be resolved:
(a) Intimately if possible and publicly only as a last resort.  
(b) regardless of fault--it is the responsibility of both accused and accuser to seek reconciliation; 
(c) quickly--resolution of conflict is more important than making a gift at the altar.
What might it look like if the expectation within the community of faith (i.e., the congregation) that this be the way conflicts approached consistently.  Could habits of intimately, mutual and urgent reconciliation be cultivated?  
One means that the church has used in seeking to influence people to have virtue is through the prayer of examen.  Prayers of examen ask probing questions around particular virtues.  We might craft our own prayer of examen around this virtue:  "Have I made an effort to resolve personal animosity?  Have I been acquiescent to lingering, unhealed division?  Have I used personal conflict between persons for my own personal gain?  Have I instigated quarrels?  Have I withheld forgiveness?  Have I drawn others into my conflicts before seeking reconciliation intimately?"  
If we cultivated this virtue in ourselves, we might further seek to see this virtue manifested in others.  When I was a new college instructor at Amarillo College, I had a student complain to my department head about some things I had said.  I had indeed spoken impulsively and she had also exaggerated what I meant.  We were both at fault.  My department head's first question to the complaining student was, "Have you tried to talk to your instructor (me) about that?"  In other words, he was expecting a virtue of the impulse to reconcile.  If this sort of character virtue were cultivated consistently among our members, they would inevitably carry these practices over in their interactions in public.  
This is just one way in which the Church is political.  It seeks to shape person's characters and how they interact with others.  To the extent the church is successful in shaping character and to the extent that its effect is widespread, the church can influence the polis.    