We have all seen the exponential increase of what I will call shades of grey, in popular culture, as well as public policy and the media. This is, to put it mildly, political correctness on a massive steroid binge. The gentle pushback one may hear, when confronted with a seemingly complicated moral dilemma, will be that the answer is not easy to resolve; that it falls in a “grey area.” But I will put forth that this rationale, this “grey area myth,” is just what opens the door to the dangers of relativism. Indeed it fosters confusion and excuses for behavior that drifts away from clear principles. One approach to combatting this, especially when engaging impressionable young people, is to ask ourselves some simple, yet profound, binary questions:
- Am I a problem, or am I a solution?
- Am I a taker, or am I a giver?
- Am I a liability, or am I an asset?
- Am I a consumer, or am I a producer?
These questions, while seemingly simplistic, cut through the fog of relativism. Few of us will align perfectly on one side, but acknowledging this eternal “tug of war” can be powerful. Gauging inwardly and honestly where we stand allows us to progress toward Greatness. If we find ourselves leaning towards the negative, it’s a wake-up call to change our trajectory.
Endeavoring daily to reach perfection on the side of light is not about achieving a seemingly unattainable ideal, but about shielding ourselves from the demonic lie of relativism. The history of the Saints shows us that this ideal is indeed attainable, albeit far from easy. While most of us may never be declared Saints, we should never take our eyes off that goal (manifested in our earthly lives by Greatness). By constantly aiming to be solutions-oriented, generous, and productive, we create a clear, positive direction for our lives. We become magnanimous.
In striving for this clarity, we reject the grey area’s comfort and embrace the challenge of self-improvement. The more we align with principles of light, the less room we leave for excuses and mediocrity. By doing so, we strengthen our integrity and, hopefully, eventually leave this world in a better state than it was when we were born into it.
And as we clear the fog, we also learn that so-called “moral dilemmas,” while real, are far less common than we are all-too-often led to believe.
