We live in a wildly confused world.  As we flamboyantly celebrate the homosexual lifestyle here on our continent, those on another continent are busy deciding if the same lifestyle should get you executed. 

This is quite the difference in cultural response.  But in both extreme cases the Church is steering us well.

On account of our short memory, we humans - as a group - tend to continually fluctuate between extremes.  Between a liberal licentiousness and a despotic legalism.  Between anarchy and tyranny.  We do so politically.  But we also do so morally. And often independently of our political swing.

The reason for the continued fluctuation (besides our natural human propensity to muck things up all on our own) is that neither extreme actually works. And by the time we’ve figured out (again) that one extreme doesn’t work, it’s been long enough to forget what was wrong with the other. So back and forth we go.  From Tyranny to anarchy to democracy to oligarchy and back to tyranny.  From ‘do what you want, I don’t care’ to ‘do what I say or else’.

Additionally, ever since Pangea broke up (I hear they may be getting back together by the way…world tour) different parts of the world have gone through such fluctuations at varying rates and become entirely out of phase with each other.  The simultaneous but diametrically opposed views on homosexuality we see today from one part of the world to the other are Exhibit A. This lack of synchronization in general is what leads to a lot of the cultural conflict around the world.

Despite all of that, in regard to faith and morals, the Catholic Church continues to be our trusty guide.  Throughout history she has shown an unwavering faithfulness to the unchanging truth; her teaching mysteriously immune to a warring world in flux. And whether you are in Uganda or San Francisco, you can rely on her to help light your path.

It’s not the answers, my friend, that are blowing in the wind.  It’s us.