Blooming and Bombing

My DC Service Corps cohort recently went on a lovely retreat at Mt. Irenaeus, a Franciscan intentional community which shares its space with lay community members and students at nearby Saint Bonaventure University. School librarian Fr. Irenaeus is the namesake of the community and had a special relationship with one Thomas Merton. Many of Merton’s books lined the shelves of the community’s shared spaces.

In his poem titled “Chant to be Used in Processions Around a Site with Furnaces,” Merton warns late 20th century war makers about the criminality of their mass slaughter. War criminals in this century would be wise to take his message to heart as well. He writes: “Do not think yourself better because you burn up friends and enemies with long-range missiles without ever seeing what you have done.” 

It’s beyond startling to be in Peace Class at an elementary school, knowing that many of our students’ peers across the world are at any time moments away from aerial destruction. There is a sweet Iranian kindergarten student at one school in Virginia and many Afghani refugee children in another school in Maryland. Last week, one of those students shared about her day as energetically as she had all year when talking about all the different types of butterflies she saw at the park the previous weekend. We had a nice time together making peace flowers.

The beauty of creation remains all around us. So too does the destructive power of hate. As a man at the Father McKenna Center asked me this week: “How can you wake up and enjoy the cherry blossoms when you know there’s children under the rubble?”

Jesus, like an increasing number of children in our world today, was born into dangerous circumstances. His life was bookended by political authorities trying to kill him. These days, Herod and Pilate carry on just the same 2,000 years later, raining missiles and even threatening nuclear annihilation across land and sea. 

Compassion and forgiveness sound like pathetic responses in this situation, but that remains the call. The shocking meekness of Jesus in his final hours is surpassed only by the shocking power of the Resurrection and its beautiful expression of God’s creative love and power.

Question for Reflection: How can you recognize beauty and remember God’s love during times of conflict?

The author’s try at designing a Peace Kingdom, made during Peace Class. Students spent a week in March designing their Kingdoms and corresponding crests as we discussed how to make our own world more peaceful.