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You are not a global citizen.
You are a member of a local, physical, visible community, even if that community's status is in tatters from the drive to engineer the world into something resembling a global society and from our reeling response to rapid technological progress.
Jesus allowed his mission to be primarily focused on those to whom he was sent. He did not deviate to go conquer Rome, or evangelize the far east.
He is bold, and goes so far as to say "I was sent only to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel."
He is bold, and goes so far as to say "I was sent only to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel."
And further, "It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
St. Paul is in agreement, and states, "But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."
St. Paul is in agreement, and states, "But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."
Modern technology blurs the lines of proximity, allowing us to distract ourselves into occupying our time, our effort, and our attention on things and events and people far away. This can be escapism.
Certainly, our Lord commended the Canaanite woman's faith when he told her of his mission to the Lost Sheep of Israel, and healed her as well; and in response to a lawyer who attempted to narrowly define "neighbor," he gave the parable of the Good Samaritan.
We are not to ignore the world or those we encounter who are distant from us culturally or proximally; we are to help them.
But we are to understand these situations in terms of a natural hierarchy, as our Lord did, and not favor Babel globalism over our communities.
But we are to understand these situations in terms of a natural hierarchy, as our Lord did, and not favor Babel globalism over our communities.
Caveats can be offered for the meaning of "global citizen." But I cannot ignore that the term is near-universally used practically as "atomized consumer."
Local communities are more fragile than we imagined, and their recovery will take time. I see a large consensus building among people from every walk of political life in favor of rebuilding the local community.
And it will take vigilance; local communities are intransigent.
And it will take vigilance; local communities are intransigent.
They resist the waves of conformity that come from consumerism and from political idealism.
They resist the notion that what is newer and shinier is always better.
They resist the idea that all institutions must be overturned and revolutionized to fit some new paradigm.
They resist the notion that what is newer and shinier is always better.
They resist the idea that all institutions must be overturned and revolutionized to fit some new paradigm.
Families were meant to function in local communities. The Family itself can only be sustained by local community, not the "global community".
The inspiration for these thoughts was this thread: please give it a read as well. https://twitter.com/JeremyMcLellan/status/1082648485005021188
The inspiration for these thoughts was this thread: please give it a read as well. https://twitter.com/JeremyMcLellan/status/1082648485005021188
