Civility and Citizenship

Beth Long-Higgins began this series by contrasting the ways members of her family expressed their citizenship and reminded us that, even in their differences, they held common values of civility. And John Gantt moved us to consider how we might reconcile the sometimes-competing examples of Jesus’ life; a life of compassion that also held direct confrontation of injustice. In both pieces, the message was one of embracing civil and respectful conversation in our public square.

I married into a family with a decades-long history of serving in state government. My husband’s great-grandfather was a member of Michigan’s house of representatives in the late 19^th century. His grandfather served as Michigan’s secretary of state and was twice elected governor. My father-in-law was a state senator and justice on the state supreme court. My husband was elected to Michigan’s house and served for 14 years. Next week, my son will be on the ballot as a candidate for the house of representatives.

Generational Witness of Service

This family history is important to my son; he relies on the examples of service he witnessed in his young life. In a time when such longevity is sometimes minimized and when “outsiders” are preferred over those with experience, this has been tricky. As a city council member, he found his voice serving the citizens of his city. And now as he seeks to widen his representative district, he has exhibited an even more important characteristic– He strives to remain civil and compassionate toward his constituents.

Family history holds the stories of those ancestors and has given us a glimpse of generational civility and compassion. The governor Frank D. Fitzgerald was remembered as saying on the day after he had been narrowly elected, that it was an odd experience to walk down the streets of his small town and realize that roughly half the people he passed had likely voted against him. He accepted the losses as well as the wins.

Governor Fitzgerald was elected to non-successive terms, first elected in 1934, defeated in 1936, and elected again in 1938. Justice Fitzgerald, a generation later, wrote a dissenting opinion that upheld the land-ownership rights of the residents of Poletown in Detroit, parcels claimed by eminent domain for industry expansion. And in 1993, Representative Fitzgerald (my husband) served as co-speaker pro tempore in Michigan’s evenly split (Republican-Democrat) House of Representatives. This was a unique time in Michigan’s history when civility was paramount and accountability was closely held.

Call to Service

I believe that some folk who choose to serve in government may experience something similar to a call to ministry. In the best of circumstances, those whom we elect look outside themselves; they commit to something larger than personal gain; they exercise caution and moderation and compassion; and they must balance anger and action against measured consideration. They may need to work hard to maintain what John Gantt referred to as active listening and compassion.

There is an organization that seeks out candidates willing to take a pledge of civility. Vote Common Good promotes these principles: Faith not Fear, Hope not Hate, Love not Lies. Candidates who sign the pledge agree to uphold the dignity of all people; work toward mutuality; take a position of humility; engage with civility; and protect democracy. In these principles we find patriotism, passion, activism, and civility wrapped together in the possibility of liberty and justice for all.

Perhaps even more importantly, Christians can find underneath the calling to public service a foundation of faithful teaching. “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things.” (Galatians 5:22-23) This is not a call to Christian nationalism or a Christian nation but a call to civility and service, to generosity of spirit, against which there is no law. That service is manifest in the most basic teaching of love: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

May it be so.