The Blind Leading The Blind

I voted before work in our local municipal election. I don't want to take the opportunity to vote for granted, and it only took a few minutes. 

I'm a fairly ignorant citizen, but I want to be informed. I'm finding, however, it very difficult to get any kind of information on the candidates for district judge, school board, supervisor, etc in this election besides their party affiliation and names. There are lawn signs everywhere at intersections. They are all listed on the sample ballot on our county's website. But when it came time for me to try to figure out who to vote for based on their platforms, proposals, voting records, etc., I was coming up short. 

I asked our neighbor, who sent me our county's website which, like I mentioned above, simply lists the names and party. I asked people at work and friends, who couldn't answer me. I even asked the local retired State Representative, who said, "I'm sorry, I don't have a good answer for you." I would have thought there would have been a non-partisan 3rd party groups like "Center for Informed Votership" or something where they could do the heavy lifting (but simple) work of linking a website or bio to each candidate's name on the county website sample ballot. 

So what, exactly, are we basing our votes on then? Who had the most lawn signs out? Are we picking candidates to vote for the way we pick wine out from the liquor store "Oh, this label looks pretty. This is fine." Seems like a completely ignorant way of voting, and I'll take full responsibility for my part in it. But I want to do better. I want to be informed. It's scary this is how our democracy functions, because I know I can't be the only one who is struggling with this. 

My wife and I had dinner with an old-coworker of hers who is coming back to the Faith. We had given her a Miraculous Medal a couple months ago when her mom died, and it seems like grace is already working there. After dinner, we didn't waste any time--I gave her an Examination of Conscience sheet, a pamphlet for how to pray the Divine Mercy chaplet I found in my car plus a rosary, and told her about the joys and hardships of living by faith, some basic apologetics and catechesis, and encouraged her by way of invitation to check out the Latin Mass with us where we assist. She was amenable to it all, which was a great joy. And we pray for her every day, as she is now our spiritually adopted daughter. 

Many new Catholics want to be informed, want to be faithful, but sometimes don't know where to start. They need a trusted friend or vetter to take them under their wing and say, "This site is good, this priest is a heretic, this book is solid, this parish is beige," etc. Otherwise the James Martins and Richard Rohrs of the world are just as much a priest as the solid orthodox ones who actually care about souls. Often those who "went to Catholic school K-12" or "were taught by nuns" or whatever are some of the most ignorant when it comes to orthodox teaching and basic catechesis.

If you have been gifted with the faith and graced with conviction, that's where you come in. Don't waste opportunities to educate and support when there's an opening. Don't be afraid to be both kind and frank, and speak the truth to someone while making it clear you are walking with them. Don't overwhelm them, but give some rich milk to start before starting on solid food. Definitely pray for them with laser focus, every day, and make sacrifices. Gift them with sacramentals. Share your wealth of learned knowledge of who to avoid and what sources can be trusted. It's not easy to get there, and many of us have bumbled and stumbled for years trying to get to this point for lack of a guide. Be that guide. In this "messy" ecclesiastical environment in which we find ourselves, it can be like walking in a fog without a lantern otherwise.

No one goes into the jungle alone. You are not a blind guide, but have the light of faith. Light someone else's candle with your own. That's how the light gets into the world to dispel the darkness of ignorance and unbelief.