By Fr. Glenn Jones:

“I know better than you.”

Few phrases so readily get us to raise our defenses than that one, especially when it comes to politics, religion and custom—the reason why it is often considered bad form to bring up those issues at social occasions. Perceived challenges to any of these can raise the hackles quicker than about anything else other than personal insult. We need only witness the incivility of public discourse in our day to see that.

These days we also often hear of those who are discontented with the current American political, economic and even religious systems advocating for complete overhauls—even by those who have little experience in those fields. One often hears criticism, but less often of constructive or realistic proposals. One is tempted to ask such: “If it is that easy to create a perfect system, why hasn’t everyone—anyone—already done it?” One may as well think himself a black belt because he’s watched Jet Li or Bruce Lee in a move, or a “wolf of Wall Street” because he went to a trading seminar.

Ah, were it so simple. But, as we well know, knowledge is not inserted into our brains like an uploaded data file in the movie “The Matrix”, but must gradually build and adjust as new insights are gained. Few are natural prodigies like Mozart with music, but rather we have to slog our way through schools and, especially in the arena of cultural and political improvement, centuries and even millennia of experience. Untested ideas rarely exit trial unscathed. And yet to be carelessly dismissive of past efforts and learning is foolishly arrogant at best. Few philosophers would advocate discarding Plato or Aristotle even if they prefer Nietzsche.

We often default unwisely to an “out with the old, in with the new” attitude. For example, one can find in the old Jewish law much that seems surprisingly modern, perhaps better termed “enduring”, such as: “You shall not follow a multitude to do evil; nor shall you bear witness in a suit, turning aside after a multitude, so as to pervert justice; nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his suit…you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials, and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.” (Exodus 23:2-3,8) Such foundational principles of justice are not outdated simply because they are “old”; in fact, any newly developed system for the common good would necessarily have to incorporate such principles to be viable. We might remember Jesus: “… every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new AND what is old.” (Matthew 13:52)

And yet neither can we be so tradition-bound as to automatically exclude any adjustment or addition at all. As in science, new data should not be disregarded, but rather utilized to better—or refute—an accepted theory, lest we become as those in Jesus’ parable—old wineskins which burst with the addition of new wine because we insist that “the old is good/best”. If the old were already perfect, there would be no room at all for improvement or expansion.

In the Christian context, this is why we study not only the New Testament, but the Old as well—the foundation upon which we Christians believe that Jesus Himself built and perfected. After all, the two great commandments of loving God above all, and neighbor as yourself are themselves, as He says, is the fulfilling of “the law and the prophets”. In the discerning of the day-to-day actions, should the Christian not then study that law and those prophets? As analogy, a student may be able to solve equations printed in the book, but unless he can apply mathematics in real world situations, it does little good; the actual mathematician knows why the result, and thus knows how to apply essential principles in more ambiguous or difficult situations.

Christians believe that Jesus did not do away with the old, but rather fulfilled it and expanded it for greater understanding. Does He not attest: “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one dot of the law to become void.”? (Luke 16:17) Such a firmament of divine direction obliges study just as seeking a destination obliges investigation of the route. Yet Jesus rightly and explicitly emphasized the law’s inherent elements of mercy, and love of God and neighbor, such as when He teaches in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment…” (Matthew 5:21-22) In fact, the two great commandments were not even new (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18), but rather pearls often obscured with the dust of selfishness and disuse … vaguely known, but often not seen or sought.

For instance, world history and experience have shown us that the “eye for an eye”—equal justice—while often necessary for societal institutions and legal systems, but becomes only destructive—often self-destructive—for individuals, leading to even generational grudges, feuds, vendettas and even wars. It is only the “new wine” of forgiveness and the overlooking of faults and offenses that Jesus emphasizes which can lead to peace; this was known—if not emphasized—even in more ancient times: “Good sense makes a man slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11)

So, the wise neither reject the old simply because it is old, nor accepts the new simply because it is new. Rather, the crucible of time continually refines the old so that slag may be removed, while new veins are continually sought to add to the riches of humanity. But it is the nature of ore that richness is intermixed with more that is worthless than is good, and so must be subjected to a greater ordeal of refinement before the riches present themselves. But, once the bad is removed, the good remains, and adds to the wealth of truest human understanding.

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.