This has been an exceptionally hot summer in Tucson. By the end of July, the National Weather Service reported 28 days with highs above 100° F, most of them being above 105°. Those of us who live here look forward to the coming of the monsoon season with summer thunderstorms. We rejoice when the sky turns black, wind kicks up, the lightning flashes, the thunder roars and the blessed drops of rain start to fall. The temperature drops 30 to 40 degrees.
On July 14, one of the most significant storms in history tore through Tucson. Big trees were toppled, roofs flew off, power poles were downed and hail the size of golf balls piled up like snow. Winds exceeded 70 mph. Rain poured into my living room through the front window (which was closed.) My daughter lost a 100-year-old mesquite tree and my friend lost her roof.
I was so focused on the power of the storm itself, the relief from the heat and the damage that people I personally know experienced that I didn’t think about the impact on those living on the streets until I saw them trying to dry out the next day.
This brings us to the upcoming election. Maybe that isn’t an obvious leap to you. Well, both climate change and homelessness are issues that will be affected by the policies and leaders we choose.
It is already an extremely contentious election season in a highly polarized environment. The media is full of attack ads, half-truths, outright lies, and some true things too, just to make it more interesting. It will take some time and work for voters to sort this all out.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging us to vote for the Common Good.
What is the Common Good? According to section 1906 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the common good means “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily.” That means that everyone has access to the resources needed to thrive. It does not mean that those who have abundant resources have the right to use them only for their own benefit.
The Common Good is rooted in the idea that our God is an abundant God who has created a world where it is possible for everyone to have enough to flourish.
One of the many Common Good issues facing us today is global climate change. The storm that created havoc in Tucson is an example of what climate change does. So are the alternating cycles of drought and deluge that we have been experiencing. Clearly, the health of the planet is of concern to all inhabitants of Earth.
The number of people living on the streets of our towns and cities is another Common Good issue. The panhandler at the freeway onramp is a symptom of larger, systemic problems, such as the lack of an adequate social safety net, affordable housing, and access to quality mental health care.
It is all too easy to focus only on how the outcome of the election might affect me or the people I am close to. But as followers of Jesus, we are called to expand our vision and take into account the wider picture. Steps to combat climate change cost money and require change in lifestyle. So does affordable housing. So do social services. Perhaps a tax cut will benefit me, but I have to ask myself who it will hurt.
So as we approach the November election, open your heart to the suffering of your brothers and sisters in your community and across the planet. Let yourself be moved with compassion and love for one another. Take time to study the issues and the candidates. Check facts. Contribute to discussion, not discord.
Pray for discernment as you prepare to mark your ballot. And pray for the Common Good.
Jeanette Arnquist is a former Director of the Department of Life, Dignity & Justice for the Diocese of San Bernardino. She is retired and living in Tucson, Arizona where she remains active in social concerns ministries.