The Argument of a Five-Year-Old

Due to this being a Catholic article forum, I am trying to avoid being political. But this is TOO good!

A few weeks ago, our very favorite Donald Trump had an interview with Anderson Cooper. Trump kept talking about how a photo scandal began. Being Trump, he blamed anybody but himself. “They started it.” Anderson Cooper stopped him right there and said: “With all due respect, that is the argument of a five-year-old.” The audience roared with laughter and Trump tried to save face by saying “That’s the problem with this country…. That’s the problem with this country….” That’s when the clip that I watched ended and you know what? Mr. Trump is absolutely right. I don’t think it’s where he was going or intended to go, but this “argument of a five-year-old” is exactly what’s wrong with this country.

It always has been.

From the very beginning with Adam and Eve, humanity has been playing the blame game. After eating the apple, Adam told God “It’s not me, she started it.” When questioned, Eve insisted “It wasn’t me. The snake told me to do it.” Each time they were focusing entirely on the other person and missed the whole point. No matter who “started it”, they did it.

Whether we are speaking politically or religiously, we really like to find blame with somebody else. We say this world would be so much better if rich people did not hoard their wealth. Or if poor people didn’t take advantage of the government, our economy would function. Or churches would be so much better if liberals did not mess up the liturgy. Or conservatives ruin the faith by worrying more about mechanics than people.

What is your “their fault” statement? Especially when it comes to our faith. Please, think about it. Write it down even. Now is that philosophy making anything better?

I bet it’s not.

Then what is a solution? Jesus gives us one in Matthew 7:4-5: “How can you say to your brother ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Before we look at others, we need to look at ourselves. As an imperfect being, I can promise you that you are not perfect. There are things you are not doing right, and there may even be ideas you have that are not the best. I will never tell you what exactly those are, but look at Jesus. Then look at yourself.

Besides, the one thing each and every one of us can change in this world is ourselves. We cannot force a company or a government entity or even another person to do the right thing. We cannot force a company to think more about employees than the bottom line. But we can donate items, or even serve in a soup kitchen. We cannot force an addict to quit his vice. But we can reach out in love to those who are struggling. We cannot force people we do not know to go to Mass. But we can love Christ ourselves, showing those we are inviting that Mass is worth attending.

There is so much more, but too many notes could put me on the line of hypocrisy myself! But I want to reiterate: Jesus told us to look at ourselves before blaming others. To hold ourselves accountable for what we are or are not doing. If we are not, we will be too blind to positively impact the world around us.