The Virtue of "Keeping It Real"

City of God 2:27 “... The whole city learned in public both by the words and gestures of the actors. They saw that the gods delighted in the commission of these things, and therefore believed that they wished them not only to be exhibited to them, but to be imitated by themselves...”

We all learn through example, unless we have been given, by almighty God, the ability to see past example. When we see virtue and discipline, we tend to imitate them. This is not necessarily because we are virtuous, but because most of us are followers. In the past, virtue was promoted, even though many did not follow the examples laid out for them. At some point in the recent past, the promotion of virtue was seen as imposing a form of morality on people. So society pulled back from this. Unvirtuous behavior was then promoted as virtue in its place. This marked the start of a new wave of global civilizational decline.

This approach was justified as exposing people to the reality of how many lived, rather than the virtuous examples once shown by entertainment. Over time, this exposure shifted from depiction to celebration and elevation of these behaviors, distorting virtue. Today, the so-called virtue of “keeping it real” often means forsaking virtue to indulge our basest desires. This supposed freedom has paradoxically become a new form of enslavement. How, then, do we recover the authentic freedom found in virtuous living?

The only way out of this slavery is for those of us blessed with the ability to see past the bad example of those in positions of influence to live publicly virtuous lives to counteract their lack of virtue. In the past, living a holy life and praying in secret kept the pride of those who did so in check. In the current climate, I believe that living this in a public, conspicuous way while still remaining humble and accessible is more vital than ever to the salvation of our culture, society, and world.

Monks live in monasteries, set apart from society, yet their example still influences those who encounter them. Friars and diocesan priests are part of public society and have their influence. In the same way, it is possible for us laity to live openly and humbly with Christ's help, present in the world but not shaped by it. As we follow His example and visibly pursue virtue, we can inspire others and contribute to the restoration of our culture. Let us be the examples that help guide society back to true freedom through virtuous living.

Human-Written, AI Spell-Checked 5/16/21 AD

Image from abc.net.au