HS 2016.1.5
One of my favorite Far Side cartoons shows a seagull television
reporter broadcasting the death of a fellow seagull lying in the foreground. In
the background are the flaming remains of a jet crash – the result of the
ill-fated seagull having gotten caught in one of its engines.
The humor of course comes because it reminds us that turnabout
is fair play: human deaths are rather
insignificant to seagulls.
This cartoon also illustrates an important principle about
our circles of concern. Speaking personally, I am most concerned about myself.
Merely losing a glove can ruin my morning.
Next come family, close relatives and good friends. I’m not overly bothered
if one loses a glove, but if sick, I want to know. Then come casual friends,
co-workers, and neighbors, followed by those in my immediate community. Continuing from there, fellow Americans
generate more concern than those in other countries. Finally, having a European ancestry, I am more
interested in what is happening in Europe than in other parts of the world.
Let me be clear that I’m not suggesting that this is either
right or wrong. I’m just claiming that this is the way I seem to think, and I
suspect that others are similar. Each person stands in the center of ever-increasing
concentric circles of concern. The more closely related others are to us –
genetically, geographically, occupationally, and otherwise, the more concern we
show. Tragedies overseas certainly do not have the news value of ones
nearby.
Indeed, if we were not built that way, we would not live
long. A newborn baby knows only of its
own needs and lets everyone within earshot know of them. Given this natural tendency, children must be
intentionally taught to develop concern for others.
These circles of concern are found in non-human animals as
well. Social animals such as prairie
dogs, lions and honey bees will help their relatives, often in direct
proportion to how genetically related they are.
For example, a prairie dog that sees a hawk will warn the others by
barking, even though doing so draws attention to itself. Similarly, it may be that our tendency to
care for those closely related to us is genetically hardwired in us.
But humans also have a moral consciousness that other
animals do not seem to have. This enables us to rise above our mere animal
nature and broaden our circle of care to include more people. Essentially, how do we answer, “Who is my
neighbor?” As I write this, ABC News is
broadcasting the story of a young black man who is donating his kidney to a
middle-aged white man he does not know in another part of the country. Why? What compels some of us to make such
sacrifices?
Religion may be one factor. Religion is certainly a mixed bag because it
tends to group and partition people and that plays into our predisposition to
focus only on those close to us. However,
in a recent conversation with a Chinese student, I asked what differences she
found between her country and the U.S.
She said that people were pretty similar overall, but she was surprised by
some she had met in West Michigan who voluntarily gave up their good lives here
to live in tough conditions around the world ministering to others. Such people often come from churches.
Good leaders and role
models can also serve to bring out the best in us. One important role of our political leaders
is to challenge us to be better people.
FDR reminded us that we had nothing to fear but fear itself. Kennedy
challenged us to “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do
for your country.” More recently GHW
Bush spoke of a“Thousand Points of Light.”
His son spoke of “compassionate conservatism” while our current
president encouraged us not to be divided as blue states and red states, but to
work together.
Likely, the success of these leaders in bringing out our
best fell far short of their aspirations. But their intention to help us look beyond
ourselves was a reflection of their own good character. They were all following
the example and advice of Abraham Lincoln who implored a divided county to live
by the “better angels of our nature”.
Friends, having an expansive view of “neighbor” does not
come naturally or easily. Therefore, looking
to the future, I hope for leaders who will encourage us to live by the better
angels of our nature.
