Que Será

The world is a vampire,
sent to drain.
Secret destroyers,
hold you up to the flames.
And what do I get
For my pain?
Betrayed desires,
and a piece of the game.

There’s an old Southern Baptist joke that the first song in the Presbyterian hymnal is “Que será, será.” (A little “5 points” jab for those not familiar). I’ve noticed a fair amount of chatter online recently regarding the extent to which demons are involved in horrific acts. As a Catholic, I’m very comfortable associating murder of the innocent with the demonic. However, there are pitfalls here. For one thing there is a trend in which, by myopically focusing on the demonic, folks advocate a total rejection of politics. Politics, we are told, is nothing but a right-here-and-right-now materialist irrelevance operating under the dominion of the Prince of this World. No, a million times, No. This will not do. (Im going to assume anyone reading here already knows I absolutely in no way equate politics with voting, supporting political parties, etc.) Politics just is bound up with the Good, and the Good casts its benevolent shade upon all. Apart from being the sole survivor on the proverbial deserted isle, one literally cannot escape politics – this is also why those who do so attempt descend into such loony larping expeditions. No, Catholics should not attempt to “avoid politics.” Catholics should boldly, manfully, advocate for good politics – first and foremost of which is a complete and unequivocal rejection of the wicked politics-as-liberty-loving liberalism. There’s a certain sense in which “Que será, será” is something like Providence if you squint the right way. (Wikipedia informs me the phrase has at least a tangential relationship to Roman Catholicism.) But what “will be” right here and right now is inextricably bound up with our politics. Placing your hand before your eyes chanting, “I’m now invisible” will not exonerate you. Catholics should not be shy proclaiming the truth that demons are real. Very, very real. However, the vampires only come out at night, and under the liberal tyranny it is always and everywhere bleakest, darkest night.