Often times in the political world, comments remain with the personality long after they were said. The criticism of the “Lidless Eye” of both the Internet and the punditry class hold a great deal of sway… and it is probably an apt criticism.
Newt Gingrich may or may not be the first person that comes to mind when you consider such a person. This is a man who has divorced three times, and in one instance served divorce papers as his wife was recovering from cancer. Not exactly the paragon of moral virtue we have (somewhat hypocritically) asked of our politicians.
Which is why this story in Politico regarding Gingrich’s conversion to Catholicism is so interesting. Real or fake? Sure, the cynic inside you just screamed “FAKE!” — but take a closer look:
The former House speaker was asked by Associated Press reporter Mike Glover, “You’ve been married three times. You’ve had messy divorces. You’re campaigning in a state where the Republican Party is dominated by Christian conservatives. How do you get past that?”
Gingrich replied, “I think you don’t get past that. I think you tell the truth and I think you share your life’s experiences and you admit that you’ve had weaknesses and that you’ve had failures and you’ve gone to God to seek forgiveness and to seek reconciliation and then people make a decision.”
Its easy to stay inside the din of politics and utterly condemn those who have strayed. Heck, it seems as if our entire system of entertainment is geared towards voyeuristic gossip aimed at the foibles and faults of others.
Every once in awhile, it’s worth stepping back and realizing that the roots of Christian culture demand the opposite. St. Paul was a violent man before his conversion. St. Matthew was a tax collector — which in the time of Christ was a cross between the IRS and a payday lender. St. Simon was little more than a political consultant (and a Zealot to boot). Those who Christ saved in the New Testament were often the dregs of society — beggars, lepers, Samaritans, prostitutes, tax collectors, the idle rich.
So when we find instances like New Gingrich or others in the public arena, why not let the angels of our better nature guide us, rather than the tabloids?
