Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1322287
Edwin Vassallo 13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 DECEMBER 2020 OPINION Edwin Vassallo is the PN opposition's spokesman for agriculture and small business THIS is the time where Christian laity, while it understands that secularism has reduced it to a minority, has to believe that it is our country's hope for salvation from self-destruction. The Christian laity is Malta's only hope if our country is not to become a soulless state. A Christian in Malta must do his/ her utmost to live the faith and its values for only therein can one find the strength, guidance and courage to transform society into a healthy one, with hope and direction towards a brighter future for generations to come. To be able to tap into such a resource, Christian laity would do well to prioritise and identify first as a Christian, then as a Maltese/Gozitan person and finally a po- litical supporter, whichever party that may be. What challenges might Christian laity need to overcome in Malta and Gozo now- adays? The first would be to challenge the blind political allegiance to the liberal agenda. The wildly egocentric liberal ideology, while paying lip service to freedom and unity, is sadly bereft of respect and morals. Consequently, as the urge to be 'progres- sive' increases, so do the personal (often slanderous) and offensive attacks, especially on social media that are devoid of logic or purpose other than to silence dissenters and indelibly prove that hate and selfishness at worst, ignorance at best, underlies it. Adoration of the gods 'self' and 'whim' has become the modern day ideology political parties frantically set up altars to without realising that as the urge to be progressive increases so does intolerance of others' be- liefs (and their right to declare them pub- licly). What freedom is this we are chasing then? Freedom to be the same, different shades of sepia, a monochrome tapestry? Jesus, the reason for this season, was by far the most progressive revolutionary in human history. He stood up for the mar- ginalised, be they lepers, pagans or pros- titutes, and lay the foundations of a belief system based on love for all. Why, the very first 'canonisation' was that of a thief crucified for his crimes beside Him. No liberal agenda, no matter how many platitudes it may resort to and expound vo- ciferously, may hope to achieve a modicum of this and it is up to us, Christian laity, to bear witness to and act upon our value sys- tem. It is up to us to show up this fallacious, dictatorial, intolerant and egotistical liberal ideology for what it is, a fraud that abuses individuals' good intentions without deliv- ering any of the liberties it promises, quite the contrary. The lack of joy and peace around us testi- fy to this irrefutably; it was very sad to note that 22% of our 18 to 24 year-olds are at risk of depression. Christian lay men and women are called upon to scrutinise all ideology, Christian included, for soundness and logic. To quote G. K. Chesterton, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried." Nothing good comes easy though, does it? Hence the tragic statistic wherein those who, until but a few years ago, where the most jovial and vibrant of age groups, are now increasingly borderline depressed. Hence the need for Christians to educate, first themselves and then others, lest post- truth and alt-facts cloud and suppress rea- son, leaving one with an unsatiable need for certainty and authenticity. This, they may do only with the help of the sacraments, a devotion to our holy mother and sound knowledge of the Church's social teachings (as expounded by herself and not the dis- torted version presented by its antagonists, at times even in sheep clothing). Pope John Paul II would, time and time again, remind us 'Do not be afraid'. As Christians, fear, especially of being a mi- nority, of being emarginated, denigrat- ed and deprived of basic freedoms is not something we should concern ourselves with. With over 2,000 years of formation be- hind us consolidated by two millennia of persecutions which continue to date; Christians, true Christians worth their salt look fear straight in the eye knowing full well they are not alone and that their fight, the good fight, is the one that triumphs. Neither the Romans, nor the Commu- nists, or the Shogunate, or the Nazis: none of the many civilisations that tried to sup- press Christians succeeded, quite the con- trary, they failed themselves as Christianity flourished as it still does today. So let us draw strength from our convic- tion in the knowledge that the love and logic underlying Christian faith stands well not only the test of time, but survives where its adversaries do not. This has always been the case and shall be the case today where liberal ideology is concerned. Why? Because it is sound, it is clear, it is based on love, it is true and it offers sustainable, logical solutions to mun- dane and extraordinary problems alike to the benefit of all in a timeless yet actual manner. It is not short sighted, it is not fal- lacious, it is not temporal. The resources Christian laity has at its disposable are infinite, however, before ac- tion there lies formation, not only cultural but also religious. To be able to wield the 'sword of the spir- it' to protect the weak and the needy, we must first have a pure, genuine faith; then become like children, innocent and honest; then knowledgeable of God's word and the Church's teachings and finally courageous, courageous enough to stand tall as one is spat at, derided and wrongly accused. Nothing Jesus is not all too familiar with, despite having done no wrong, so as Chris- tians we ought to keep our eye on the ball happy in the knowledge that temporal dis- tress makes for eternal bliss when it is the result of one's having fought the good fight, for the good of all, with love and respect and especially unwavering determination. So Christians, do not be afraid; rejoice, persevere and rejoice, stand up for what you believe in, be the change you want to see and above all love, love unreservedly, love everyone, even the most undesirable of creatures, that is what He did, that is what we are called to do, that it may be said of us they did not live in vain, they left the world a truly better place, and above all 'theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. This is the challenge for our Christian la- ity. Let it be a minority, but a strong one. A minority that believes that joy and peace on earth and eternal bliss begin first with the way one bears witness to one's faith in the logic of the word of God. This is the only way Malta can regain its values and afford its people a sensible and joyful way of life where everyone is valued by virtue of our being all, equally, children of God with a deep responsibility for each other's wellbeing and that of generations to come. Christian laity is Malta's only hope