We are family

Earlier this week we celebrated United Nations Day. Not that anyone actually celebrated it. In fact, in "Militia Country," also known as that vast space of land in Pennsylvania between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia (also known as "Pennsyltucky"), groups of AM radio listeners gathered to burn the U.N. flag. Thankfully, the power of Militia Country, PA has diminished over these past few years - hence the reason Pennsylvania has gotten more blue instead of red.

Though our country (and many others) piss all over the United Nations, I still find hope in its intentions. So did the late theologian Robert McAfee Brown, who wrote this eloquent statement to celebrate U.N. Day:

"There must not only be a vision of the global family, but a sufficient sense of belonging to the global family so people will undertake risks on behalf of that broad family."

I'd guess there's lots of room for misinterpretation in this statement. The key word in there for me is broad. Brown isn't urging us to take risks on behalf of the American family, or the Western family, or the White family, or the Judeo-Christian family, but the broad family. Where would we be as a world if vision like this was the dominant paradigm?

I'm reminded of another quote, by another religious guy, Charles de Foucauld: "The absence of risk is a sure sign of mediocrity." And in addition to a culture of cronyism and corruption in our world and country, I'd say we're knee-deep in a culture of mediocrity, too.

Which is all the more reason to remember the things in this world, like the U.N., that were created out of a culture of optimism and hope, rather than cynicism and dominance.