Dear Friends,
We are living in a disorienting time. I spend a chunk of each day trying to absorb all the news and then a decent amount of time asking “Why?” Why do some people delight in destruction? Why do some allow, even encourage, cruelty?
And then I remember the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan: giant, ancient statues, dating from the 6th Century C.E. that were beautiful and a pilgrimage spot for Buddhists and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After the Taliban came into power they decided to destroy them as idols. They then proceeded over a few weeks to destroy the statues, shooting at them, using larger weaponry, until nothing was left. Wanton destruction. During that time there was also a report that Taliban fighters were killing animals in the Kabul Zoo, soldiers taking turns at target practice by shooting at the lion’s nose over and over, until his nose was gone and the lion died. I wept at both events because the destruction, the cruelty was the point.
My brain spins, wondering what inspires people, a group of people, institutions, to behave this way? It just doesn’t compute. Something Annie Dillard wrote has stuck with me since I read it 40 years ago: “Cruelty is a mystery and a waste of pain.” Pain is a part of life, no matter what, so why would we ever increase it? Why would anyone choose cruelty?
Because it is a mystery, I suppose my brain then asks, how are we Christians to respond? Certainly however we respond should not increase pain or be motivated by cruelty. Beyond that, I think our Sunday readings help guide us. All of the readings focus on two big ideas: first, God calls each of us to follow God and God’s ways and second, none of us is perfect or ready or capable on our own to do God’s will, yet we are still called.
In the Gospel, we hear about the great catch of fish. Some fishermen are out and having a bad day, so Jesus tells them to go out into deep water and lower their nets again, which they do, and, suddenly, an astonishing catch! The fisherman are amazed, Peter falls down before Jesus claiming his unworthiness, and then Jesus call him to be his disciple.
None of us can do what we are called to do on our own, but if we go out into the deep of prayer and silence, if we trust in God rather than ourselves, then we might be strengthened to face the cruelty and destruction around us. We may not succeed in all things, but we will succeed in some. And more importantly, we will have been faithful, we will have held onto the dignity of our humanity, and we will be open to what Dillard says after that first sentence about cruelty: “But if we describe a world to compass these things, a world that is a long, brute game, then we bump against another mystery: the inrush of power and light, the canary that sings on the skull.”
Keep the faith. See you in church!
Faithfully, Suzanne+