Yesterday

"Oftentimes have I heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto you and an intruder upon your world.
But I say that even as the holy and the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each one of you,
So the wicked and the weak cannot fall lower than the lowest which is in you also.
And as a single leaf turns not yellow but with the silent knowledge of the whole tree,
So the wrong-doer cannot do wrong without the hidden will of you all."
~ Kahlil Gibran from "The Prophet"

Yesterday, a terrorist was killed by U.S. forces. He was killed and an entire nation breathed a sigh of relief, understandably so.

After that, thousands of Americans flooded the streets of D.C. and New York and danced and rejoiced.

Instead, I couldn't help but be sad. Not necessarily sad that he was killed because in our reality perhaps that was the only way to keep him from harming others. But sad that this is our reality at all. Sad that we live in a world in which anyone kills anyone to protect their safety or their values, their beliefs or their way of life. Sad that when a man dies, any man, people would rejoice in the street.

It would be better if we asked ourselves: what part did I play in this? In what ways have I contributed to the taking of innocent life? In what ways have I infringed upon the rights and human dignity of others? In what ways have I failed to sow compassion and love and respect?

We live in a broken world full of anger, despair, and pain. And we are all sinners, we all miss the mark. Truly, our sins are only different in degree not kind than the sins of anyone else. We are not strangers, none of us. We are all part of a larger whole, all connected, all indebted and responsible for and dependent upon all.

And so, I cry for Osama. I cry that he couldn't see the pain he was causing. I cry that he wasn't able to find a more compassionate and life-giving way to be.

I cry for all those who died on 911 and all of the soldiers who have died since. I cry for my friend Tony.

And, I cry for all of us still living, that we haven't found a more humble, graceful way to be. I cry that as a world we can't seem to keep from harming one another and in effect harming ourselves.

I pray that this leads to a new start, to greater peace and not more violence and war. And I pray that this and these moments bring us to take a deep breath, pause, and reflect upon what our part is in inspiring hope, and life, and joy. What our part is in bettering the world, bettering the whole, by our presence.