“Jerry” or “Jesus”
A typical scene from the Jerry Springer talk show.
In 2007, I led a service trip of St. John’s University students to Lourdes, France. During our training to be in service to the sick pilgrims who we would physically and spiritually support for the next week, we were informed of how many Europeans view Americans.
“When they think America, they think Jerry Springer,” our leader warned, asking us to be extra kind and attentive to refute this perception.
Last weekend, between some wonderful football games, I started watching the new Springer documentary titled, “Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action.”
It was worse than I remember. The opening scene of a man and his horse was more than enough, and I can’t seem to get this outrageous image out of my head.
I was a teenager when Springer’s talk show rose to fame, and on sick days home from school, I caught an episode or two. It balanced out the kinder and more G-rated fun of the Price is Right! Like MTV’s then spring break shows, it was a different world from the more conservative and religiously grounded home I grew up in.
This new Springer documentary ruthlessly captures the troubles of the show, and how many people were misled and manipulated to create a daily circus that led to increased ratings and fame. The show amazingly ran from 1991-2018.
Fast forward to our current days, and we really shouldn’t be surprised when our leaders reflect the same disfunction and disregard for others that Springer was known for as we trained generations on what was acceptable and preferred for public consumption.
Our need to be entertained, to feel better about ourselves as compared to other groups of people, and to be engaged in arrogance and self-righteousness has not diminished since the chants of “Jerry, Jerry” filled those very full Chicago and Connecticut studios.
On several occasions, the Springer documentary compares the show to Roman times when the Coliseum hosted laughs and jeers at the expense of others. Our ancestors cheered as people lost their lives and honor, often in horrific ways.
As lives were ruined on Springer, audiences, both in-person and at home, found pleasure in the downfall of others. It really is the worst of our humanity and sadly, it is not limited to this talk show.
It plays out daily in school yards, on social media, and from our elected officials. We continue to further divide ourselves when what we truly need is unity. Not just unity as a family, or community. Not just as a nation or a continent. But as a world.
This is an invitation for self-examination. I imagine many of us are not laughing at the disfunction of others, but we are judging them if we are truly honest. We think we understand their reality and we assess their choices. We often cast a wide net over groups of people, never taking the time to truly listen and understand.
I don’t believe we do this to be mean or to cause further pain. We were trained to do this, in the name of humor and ultimately, to protect our own security. Be it our ego, or any level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the way we see the world is often a defense mechanism to protect against what is different, which is often seen as a threat to our safety.
While this self-examination needs time, prayer, and yes, even wisdom figures to help us sort this out, we can all begin by recognizing that we are all guilty of this at times. We are invited to see those who are different, marginalized, and struggling as our human family. Our response should be mercy and inclusion, not judgment and exclusion. It comes down to how we see one another.
Can we make the conscious effort to do this even more than we already do?
Do we believe Jesus when, before his death, says the prayer, “may they all be one?” Does it strike our hearts when we see others as members of our family suffer- no matter how they might be portrayed in the media and those with influence. No matter how their choices may have negatively impacted our life.
When I see a mother and her children on our New York streets, do I see an illegal immigrant or a mother seeking safety because her home is no longer secure. Might I put myself in her shoes and ask if my home was suddenly not safe, what would I do for my family? What if the street is an improvement, as cold and harsh as that may be.
Might we look at the migration crisis and recognize that none of our recent leaders have gotten it right. Will we respond demanding an immigration policy that is just yet also merciful?
Of course this goes beyond migration. Name the issue and ask, “how might this be different.” If the answer to the question, “is human dignity upheld” is no, we have work to do.
It is not easy work, and we will likely not see its fruit in our lifetime.
But, it is our call and our responsibility.
In a country and world that is intentionally divided, what if we, instead of planting our flags with a political party or ideology, and instead of filling our soul with trash television and propaganda, we consciously led with our heart-with the unconditional love and mercy that our creator gives to us.
For us Christians, this is what Jesus did. He showed us a new way. He pointed to the judgmental religious and political leaders who protected their law and way of thinking, and asked, “where is your mercy?”
His way was that of love for all and he invites us, another generation, to finally get it right.
