Msgr. Paul V. Garrity
Norman Lear, who just died at the age of 101, was a modern-day prophet because he called out some of the great ills of our day. He was a writer, a producer, and a director of situation comedies that were subtle reminders that there are evils in our world that need to be exposed. “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons,” “Maude,” and “Sanford and Sons” were hilarious sitcoms but contained social commentary that is still relevant today.
Archie Bunker was the central figure in “All in the Family.” He called his wife a dingbat. He called his son-in-law a meathead. He said terrible things about Jewish people and was very clear that he did not like people of color. When a photo of Sammy Davis Jr. giving him a kiss is taken, his expression captures his disdain and embarrassment. Archie is a racist. He is a misogynist. He is an antisemite. And we all laugh because we know that Archie is a buffoon and represents in himself the ignorance and pomposity that undergirds his antisocial behavior.
What Lear did in these ground-breaking television shows was hold up a mirror to society. He casts into bold relief the kinds of thoughts and behaviors that everyone knows exist, but which most people in the 1970s chose to ignore. Racism, sexism, and antisemitism were taboo topics in mainstream television before Lear brought them to national audiences. Viewers could see these vile realities without feeling defensive and guilty because they were made visible through humor.
In our nation today, the death of George Floyd became an “aha” moment for white America about the continuing impact of racism on people of color. The war against Hamas has triggered antisemitism with a vengeance, and sexism is still alive and well in the statistics that clearly show how women are held to different standards than men in business and politics. The recent shooting of three Palestinian young men in Vermont tells us that Islamophobia is real and potentially lethal.
Today we find ourselves between Hanukkah and Christmas. When the menorah is fully lit it casts the kind of light that our world desperately needs. And when Jesus is celebrated as the light of the world, Christians rejoice as his birth is celebrated. In Islam, the Qur’an states that God is the light, or “An-Nur” in Arabic, of the heavens and earth, and provides guidance. Though this is the darkest time of year, it is also the time of the year when lights burn brightly all around us and in so many ways.
The clear lesson that light conveys is that evil lurks in darkness. Ignorance is a form of darkness and is found in numerous places. It is found in the hearts of those who choose to hate and who marginalize others. It is present in political speech that disrespects the truth for political gain. It is found in public policies that claim that the end justifies the means, regardless of the human toll. Most of all, it is found in the denial that racism, sexism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia are in the air that we breathe.
This season of light provides a wonderful incentive to spend time reflecting on the causes of darkness around us. At its core, darkness is the absence of love. For people of faith, love and God are synonymous. For humanists and nones, love is the energy that motivates goodness. Love is the power of unity that casts out darkness and evil. When unleashed unconditionally, it is the brightest of lights that illuminates the whole world, casts out darkness, and charts the way for better futures.
Regardless of how we choose to find meaning in life, whatever our religious persuasion, we all agree or should agree that human life is sacred. Human dignity is something that we all possess and that we need to recognize and respect in one another. Love is humanism on steroids. It not only brings light to the world, but energizes the search for peace, hunger for justice, and the kind of generosity that makes true care for the future of our planet possible.
Msgr. Paul V. Garrity is a senior priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and former pastor of St. Mary’s Parish and School in Lynn.
