What Motivates Us – Edginess or Inspiration?

Evocative or inspiring? Edgy or lofty? Both/And? These are sometimes tough choices to sort through for all of us who want to get our messages of equality, justice, fairness, and inclusion across. What will resonate and how?

I struggle with this problem all of the time. I suspect you might, too. I found two examples of these somewhat opposing approaches. See which you think resonates.

The first comes from Eve Tushnet writing a review in the February 6, 2020 issue of Commonweal of the chapbook “Females” by Andrea Long Chu. (Okay, I did have to look up ‘chapbook’. It’s a small paperback booklet.) Tushnet calls Chu “performatively edgy, frequently hilarious” and summarizes one of the booklet’s points:   

We believe that God came to us as a man, perhaps our most universal symbol of power, so that he could die broken and helpless, serving us and subject to our desires. And in this we must imitate him; which we don’t. Perhaps the greatest indictment of Christianity is that it has induced so few men to become “female” in this sense. For this is the overturning at the heart of Christian ethics: that everyone should be “female,” even—especially?—if you are not a woman.”

Certainly this is a snappy analysis, one I hadn’t thought of and I like that, but the vision of ‘female’ behind it as servant and subject, not so much. But then the reviewer claims Chu is writing satire, and that make it so much more interesting and provocative.

The second has a more inspiring, and perhaps abiding, message. In the February 4, 2020 issue of TIME dedicated to the “Youthquake” we are experiencing everywhere and, mostly, for the good of us all, a few prominent people were asked to send messages to these remarkable young people. Michele Bachelet, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and former President of Chile had this to say to the youth of today, and, I think, to us as we strive to establish the ministry and leadership of all genders in our Church:

Remember this: no matter how grave and tangled the crisis, core values will steer you to the path of solutions. We are not alone. Other people matter. Justice matters. By understanding others’ points of views; by acting with integrity to advance justice; by seeking to build on your respect for other people and all forms of life; by looking to construct, and advance – rather than to destroy – you will be able to achieve greater human dignity and human rights.

Finally, rather than the two approaches above, we could just go with irony. From the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s email promoting upcoming events: “CELEBRATING MARY’S YES!!!  … a simultaneous prayer and discussion of a new initiative to promote and support vocations to the priesthood!”

Mary, by the way, need not attend.