Whither virtue?

The stories of the school shooters are eerily similar, kids who are lonely, angry and in many cases see killing as almost another violent video game.

There are characteristics also, such as a lack of empathy. Where has compassion gone? The school system and our society appear to lionize the self. Be true to youself! Be you! I saw these mantras scrawled and attached to a fence surrounding a day care! Be you is the new commandment for society. Be rich, carve out your path!

We go out of our way to enable and ensure people can express themselves without heed of any consequences for society. We allow children tonself identify as animals and meow and bark in schools, we allow children and adults autonomy that far outstrips their wisdom. The message is EXPRESS YOURSELF!!

Movies reinforce this by presenting moral ambiguity as that which is preferred. TV series for the most part do the same. Books such as Harry Potter note that power can be used for good or bad and the ends justify the means.

Here in Ottawa, our streets are littered with the debris of our nihilistic understanding of humanity. In a headless quest for pleasure, feeling good, the homeless drug addicts march like a defeated army in our downtown corridors. In their empty eyes, we see the failure of our society to look after people. We provide safe injection sites and have legalized drugs. We would never force these people who were once someone’s children to get treatment. We can’t impose treatment. Let them make the choice!

Since we have gone down the treacherous path of 'we all have our truths', good and evil are no longer absolute but relative, we have neglected the formation of conscience. Gone are the days of heros and virtue. This old fashioned idea is now replaced by situational ethics, relativism and an understanding that the ends always justify the means. Thus, I can steal and cheat if it means I will have the money I need to go to medical school. Sacrifice is worthless.

When I was a child, my parents read fairy tales to me. They were about virtue, about being honest, or brave even when it would cost you. I remember the story of the woodsman who lost his axe in a river.A messenger appeared and showed him an axe made of diamonds and asked if it was his. He shook his head. The messenger producted more magnificent axes from the river, but the woodsman insisted they were not his. Finally the messenger pulled out an axe that had a chip in the blade and a very worn wooden handle. The woodsman was overjoyed.

The themes were always the same. Honesty, kindness and obedience always yeiled fruits and great rewards. There was the story of an old woman, who it was rumoured had a magical shower that when the cord was pulled you would be showered in gold. A farmer sent his three daughters hoping one of them would receive the bounty of gold. T shehe first daughter was very spoiled and when the old woman told her she must make her breakfast, feed the animals and sweep the house, she refused. She thought to herself I will cook for myself, the animals can feed themselves on the grass outside. At the end of three days, the old woman beckoned her to receive her reward. She pulled the cord and was covered in tar due to her lack of obedience.

The second daughter came and learning that obedience was important, she did all that the old woman requested but on her own time. She made her breakfast first and then served the old lady. She fed the animals but neglected the water, she swept but only from what was visible. When she came for her reward she was chided for her selfishness and turned into a goose as she had not watered the geese.

The third daughter fed the old woman, not for reward but out of love,. She lovingly fed all the animals ensuring they were warm and secure. She swept every inch of the small home. Indeed she was covered in gold because of her love of others which she placed over self love.

These tremendous stories made an impression on me! I watched TV shows, all of which applauded sacrifice and virtue. Shows like Bonanza which showcased sacrifice, honour and truth.

I also was brought up, for some years in a Catholic school and once more was taught the value of the sacrifice of Christ, the heroic virtue of the saints and how our virtues are directed and imputed to us through the grace of God.

I believe what happens is that when we are not formed to think in this way from childhood, we grow up without fully formed consciences. Without fully formed and directed conscienes, we are morally and ethically stunted. The conscience does not develop naturally. If we neglect it, it will find other darker sources to form and it will default to the self as the guiding principal, hence the self centeredness and egotism that we see wherever we turn.

Instead of scrawling "Be YOU", how about changing that to "Be a Hero to others!" "Shine with kindness."

Of course, the ultimate in virtue, self sacrifice and love, is expressed in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our salvation. He could have jumped off the cross, He could have stopped it, but He did not. He willingly allowed Himself to be tortured and killed for our sakes.

As we think of virtue and sacrifice, reflet on the cross.