In the opening lines of Augustine’s City of God, he mentions the reason for writing his work: “I have undertaken its defense against those who prefer their own gods to the Founder of this city.”
The June presidential debate has awoken the beast of American politics. This monster was always present; it has been for quite some time. Now it appears that the beast is stronger than ever before. The Trump-Biden saga—now the Trump-Harris saga—continues, and many Americans are frustrated, angry, uneasy, or reaching despair about the state of the nation.
The Trump assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, gained the attention of all Americans and people across the globe—and rightfully so. If you were like me, you were sucked into the constant recycling of commentary on the event. Between watching the clip again and again along with listening to everyone’s opinion on the why and the how, I saw that I was easily being stripped of my peace.
Discussions on Trump’s indictments and trials, Biden’s ability to govern, and then the assassination attempt took over the media cycle. Then eight days after the assassination attempt, President Biden announced he was ending his campaign for re-election. Politics will continue to dominate the headlines. These are, in many ways, unprecedented times. Americans ought to know what is happening so that they can be causes for renewal in our country. At the same time, watching the news can destroy one’s spiritual life and become one’s idol.
This 2024 election will not decide God’s triumph. While its circumstances are historic, its results will not determine our salvation.
Almost 25% of Americans watch the news each day. Millions of Americans follow the news each day over social media, and countless people view short videos on the latest headlines. Over 51 million people watched the June 27 debate, and over 150 million Americans voted in the 2020 elections. Hearing about the candidates for the presidency and being aware of the events of the race is unavoidable.
Throughout the election cycle, and in politics in general, Catholics are called to be informed about the running of the country, but we must always be careful to not worship politics nor the news cycle. The current climate in the presidential race offers a necessary opportunity to intentionally reflect on how Catholics should juggle the constant news with their spiritual lives. Doing so is necessary in order to avoid making the news and politics an idol.
Augustine said that what a person clings to is the result of what they love the most: “Two loves have made the two cities. Love of self, even to the point of contempt for God, made the earthly city; and love of God, even to the point of contempt for self, made the heavenly city” (Augustine, The City of God, Book 14, Chapter 28).
Ultimately, the capacity to be informed about politics while remaining grounded in one’s faith comes down to what one loves the most—what we worship. You can discover what you worship by asking yourself what you spend the most time thinking about and what you care the most about. What you worship is what you value as the supreme good. Being consumed with an idea or a cause in such a way that it directs your every move is a form of worship. Unfortunately, the hyper-attentiveness and importance placed on the news and politics have made them idols for so many.
The challenge for American Catholics today is that we might claim to place God as our supreme good but act otherwise. Well-intentioned Catholics who attend Mass each Sunday and have a prayer life might easily become overwhelmed by the news. They can become enraged by policies and politicians who stand against what we know is true and just. This policies and politicians attack Catholic beliefs, promote abortion “rights,” or champion gender theory. However, when we live inside of the “City of Man,” we have to learn how to be among—and possibly be ruled by—those who have created their own gods. In St. Thomas’ commentary on Peter Lombard’s Sentences, he writes that there are two modes of ruling. A tyrant rules for his own good alone while a king rules “for the good of the nation over which he is set” (Book II, dist. 44, q.1, a.3).
In a nation that appears to have more tyrants than just rulers, Catholics must cling to Christ and his words. When Christ was arrested and sent before Pilate, he refused to speak during the beginning of his mock trial. When Pilate spoke more directly to him about the power he has over releasing him or killing him, Jesus said to the Roman governor, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above” (John 19:11).
Catholics ought to fight for the good, voice the truth, and be involved in political action so that we can build up God’s kingdom inside of this earthly one. However, we must remember that our current political situation in America is not outside of God’s providence. He can and will act through these circumstances. Moving to despair about the nation or even moving to hate those who cling to the City of Man is not an option.
Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17). Christ knew that Caesar was corrupt and misguided. He also knew that the Jews of his time could not escape his governance. But everything belongs to God. He is in control of it all. While we might not be able to see through the mess of our modern-day Caesar issues, we can take solace in the fact that when we give God everything he is never outdone in his care for us.
Even this 2024 election will not decide God’s triumph. While its circumstances are historic, its results will not determine our salvation. Every recent election has been posed as “the one that will determine the future of America.” We have been told, for decades, that only this or that candidate can steer us through these stormy American seas. This apocalyptic language should be familiar to a reader of the Bible. Even though politics is extremely important, this language is not appropriate here. Jesus could tell his disciples to give Caesar his due because his victory was going to come in humility and sacrifice, not power and control. The conquering of the City of Man will occur the same way.
So, give God everything. Make him your one true God. Don’t establish other gods in his place, especially when it comes to the news and the political arena. We must be holy citizens, ones who declare and proclaim the City of God above everything else. Let us do so in word and in deed.