As
we CHOOSE to BE, and to LISTEN we are called to LEAD. This must be done with
PRAYER.
The
events in Orlando over the past weekend have shaken most of us to the core.
That such hatred and violence can be unleashed in an American city makes us
stagger in disbelief. How do we combat intolerance of such magnitude? (It doesn't matter if it is based on prejudice or malice or terrorism-the root is intolerance.)
Our
initial reaction may be to respond in anger, fear, hatred. We cannot, we dare
not, go there. In a Facebook post the day after the Orlando massacre, the Rev.
Canon Daniel Gutierrez, Bishop Elect of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, said, “We cannot keep silent. We cannot accept this as normal. We must not give life to the darkness of
hate, marginalization, violence, political rhetoric and discrimination. We
cannot be enraged for the moment, today, or the next week. We cannot sit
silently until the next mass murder…Brothers and sisters [are] brutalized
daily, and we deliberate whether hate and discrimination exists.”
Fr. Daniel points to a different response, “Through our tears, pain, bewilderment and
sadness we must envision something new. It has to begin today, and it must
start with us. I believe in the goodness of humanity. We have seen it time
and time again. Hopeful people whose lives express a deep and abiding love for
all creation. A world where forgiveness is stronger than revenge, where empathy
abounds over hate, acceptance mightier than exclusion and that the light of love and life is shining brighter
than the darkness of hate and death.”
We
must pray, we must act, we must work for love, hope, peace in a world gone mad.
Think about how we say ‘I am mad’ when we mean we are angry. To be ‘mad’ is to
be insane and unable to think in a clear way. This goes beyond anger and is
very dangerous. However, madness is what seems to be happening in many parts of
the world. Not just anger, but real insane madness focusing on those deemed ‘different’
or ‘wrong’.
Thomas
Merton said, “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or
not they are worthy. That is not our business, and in fact, it is nobody’s
business. What we are asked to do is to
love, and this love itself will render both ourselves and our neighbors
worthy if anything can.”
It
is a hard road we are called to when we must confront the ‘madness’ of the
world that focuses on hatred and separation and fostering fear. Fr. Daniel
points out, “We must find our voice. It must begin in
our churches and we must take it to the powerful. We can make a difference. It is the only path we have in a world
that has a tendency to slip into the darkness.”
Our action must begin with knowing that we, and EVERY other person, is Beloved of God.
We have to CHOOSE to LISTEN to each other. Then
we must LEAD the way with PRAYER and action so that there may once again be
Hope and Faith and Love in individuals and communities and the world.
Only when we each look at our actions and reactions
can we hope for any change. We will need to stop judging based on any criteria
other than seeing the other person as a child of God. We will need to offer
peace and love even when we feel irritated or wronged. We will need to hold out
a hand of reconciliation or comfort or healing rather than a fist of
retribution or rage. As the Christmas song says, “Let there be peace on earth
and let it begin with me.”
Fr.
Daniel Gutierrez concludes his post with a prayer for change, “May we all believe in the transformative
power of hope, peace, goodness and love. May we bring the healing and love of
Jesus Christ to this world. This is the world we envision. May it be so,
may it be so. I pray for those affected by today. May the Lord hold us close.
Amen.”Prayer and action start by turning to God, because we cannot change the world alone. Turning to God requires repentance and Forgiveness. Next week we'll explore that difficult path.
