If you only blog once a year, I said, blog for peace. Which, it appears, I am doing. The once a year thing. And the blogging for peace.
On September 12, 2001, my uncle, a Roman Catholic priest known for practicing what he preached, awoke to messages of deep sorrow on his answering machine. People were afraid, people were sad, people were angry. Once caller said, "Father Duffy, when I come to church on Sunday, don't you dare preach peace."
I asked what he preached and he looked at me like he often did --- kindly, with hope that one day I wouldn't be so dense.
He preached reconciliation. Which is what our life as Christians is about. It is also what the lives of non-Christians is about, but the words may be different. We fall down. We get up again. We fall down. Like toddlers, we struggle to reach our parents, our creator.
And the love that the creator feels for us is all encompassing. Jesus said, there are two things I want from you. Love God. Love your neighbor as you love yourself, and as God loves you. Someone (I have heard it was a lawyer) asked, well, that's easy, but who is my neighbor. And Jesus looked at him as he often did, kindly, with the hope that one day he wouldn't be so dense, and told the story of the good Samaritan.
Jesus didn't say, love those to whom you are related. Love the people in your gated community. Love people who wear the same clothes that you do, and where the same political buttons. Jesus said love everybody.
And this is my prayer for Peace. Love God (in whatever form you find her) and love your neighbor (in whatever form you find her) as you love yourself.
And preach peace. Everyday, even when it hurts.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
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