Have you ever heard of the term subsidiarity? It means that things should be done by the smallest, least complex organization which can competently handle the concern at hand. It is an underpinning of Catholic social teaching. I suppose it suggests that big government is not the solution to every problem. But I'm not really here to discuss politics. What I was thinking about today was what subsidiarity means in terms of a single person. What is best done by the individual able-bodied person? What is best done by the individual, incapacitated person?
In terms of the incapacitated person, I have seen such beautiful examples of upholding human dignity by allowing the individual to so as much as possible. The Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious order that cares for the elderly poor, are one such example. My children used to volunteer at the LSP residence in the neighboring city. The sisters would introduce us to every resident by name and tell us something special about that person. All resident musicians would perform for us, including a former jazz trumpeter who, when we met him, could no longer play a big brass instrument, but was "wicked" on the kazoo. My kids would do formal interviews with the residents, help them decorate cookies, wheel them to meals, etc. But they were instructed to let the elderly do what they could themselves.
Another example of upholding human dignity was how my sister helped my father. In his old age, my father went blind. He was also confined to a wheelchair, but it was the blindness that really got him down. I loved to watch my sister work with him. "Dad, it's time to get dinner ready. Here are the green beans for you to take the ends off of." "Here, can you fold these?" "Somebody needs to pet the dog." Her litany of things for him to do made his days so much brighter. I hope I have learned something by watching the two of them together.
This morning I was listening to the news. It lead me to think about individuals who can do for themselves, but don't. Well, sometimes there is a lot more behind the news story that we know nothing about. I've learned that sometimes we, as people, can be our own enemies; that is, we think we can't do something, so we don't even try. But this "I can't do it" attitude usually limits our actions. What about weaknesses that impel us to action? I was thinking about looting, theft, vandalism, etc. That's a "I can't not do it" attitude. Which is where my subsidiarity and self-control connection comes in.
Each of us is called to be our own watchdog, to use self-control.
We all of us have problems, to be sure, but some of us are more successful than others at curbing our improper impulses. Much of this comes from what we've been taught by our parents. Do we understand right from wrong? Do we understand the consequence of improper action? Do we respect others? Do we respect the property of others? Do we even understand what effort others go through to obtain/make/maintain that property? How important, then, it is to have good families where these values are passed down.
What happens when the family unit breaks down? What happens if family teaching is poor? Where do struggling families get help? Who teaches neglected children values? In terms of subsidiarity, that's where neighbors get to pitch in. Just take a minute and think who lives near you. Do you even know who that is? If not, consider introducing yourself. How might your neighbor need help? What skills do you have that might bolster them up in their hour of need? Sometimes the easiest thing to do is just listen. It's amazing how much knowing someone cares and is looking out for you can do. And if you listen with a heart to serve, you might just hear a small snippet that suggests an opportunity to do more. Thoughtfulness in light of subsidiarity will help you uphold human dignity, but first you need to get to know the human.
