“The order of love is that by which the right measure of affection is expressed in what is loved.” -St. Augustine
When Vice President J.D. Vance invoked the medieval Catholic phrase in response to criticism of the current Administration’s immigration policy, I confess that I had to look it up to resurrect memories of a history class long ago when I sat next to the radiator on a cold winter morning and the embrace of the enveloping heat made it hard to keep my eyes open.
Ideas sound more sophisticated when they are recorded in Latin, but the concept is simple. Augustine encourages us to love God first, then family, community, country, and finally, humanity at large.
A nation where citizens fully adhere to Augustine’s order is destined to be peaceful and prosperous. While it is humanly impossible for any country to achieve complete compliance, I believe that the United States once had a population that embraced these principles to a far greater extent than it does today.
My parents attended church regularly and were devoted to our family. They were exemplary stewards of their community and patriotic citizens. They had friends of various races and nationalities and showed compassion toward people whose lifestyles they did not agree with. They were five for five, and in this, they were not unusual for their time.
In just a few generations, however, the love of God diminished in the US, and we became a four out of five nation. Time passed; ideology replaced reason and compassion, and the political process degraded to the point where we are so fragmented that we struggle to achieve three out of five.
Republicans do well in loving God, family, and country. However, they sometimes fall short in their treatment of neighbors with alternative lifestyles or the broader humanity that wishes to be their neighbor.
Democrats appreciate their community of like-minded individuals and their family, provided that family shares their political views. Many Democrats love their country, while others may feel contempt for it. If they lack affection for any of the first four orders of Augustine’s hierarchy, they transfer that love to humanity at large.
Both parties believe they have the moral high ground. Republicans believe Democrats are people with bad ideas. Unfortunately, Democrats perceive Republicans as bad people with ideas, which, in my opinion, has significantly contributed to shifting the political pendulum back to the right.
What both sides seem to overlook is that the hierarchy of love is the driving force behind a civilization. Remove any one of the components, and it is akin to cutting a spark plug wire under the hood of your car.
Outside The Box 