Hi everybody! Its been another crazy (but whole lotta fun) week here in Bucks County. I've been prepping for my first ever Youth Ministry meeting this weekend. Please say a prayer for me and all the teens of Our Lady of Mt Carmel parish this Sunday, that the Holy Spirit invade all that we do this year. =)
I have to admit I was shocked by what played out in the last few days on Twitter and the social media world between the White House administration and our Holy Father. When the President made his speech a week ago that we had to do something about the one thousand plus people who died in Syria because of a seemingly chemical attack, I believed him. I felt especially for the children, who did not ask for this, not did they deserve it. Remember, at the time of the speech, we did not have real good evidence that the regime used chemical gases or that it was the regime responsible at all. As the evidence in later days began to flood in, I became even more convinced that we had to do something. Great Britain said that they had proof of sarin gas, and it seems that we are just waiting for the UN to confirm the same as well.
But then, the Pope stepped into the spotlight practically shouting "PEACE!". I was shocked. Did he not see that men, women, children were killed? Did he not see that many of them were defenseless (or at least, not in the midst of the fighting). Why not use force to show the Syrian leaders that using chemical gas of your own citizens is wrong and immoral? Why not show them that the world would not stand for such But more and more, with an open letter to the G20, a Twitter campaign that would have made a political team proud, and a six-step plan toward peace through talks and vocalizing guarantees, Pope Francis pushed for peace. He pushed for policy and discussion. Not guns and missiles. He even made it clear that the Vatican wanted a part in bringing about peace, by being a mediator for peace talks. He put our whole religion out there in the front. And I was left to rethink my position on the whole mess.
Pope Francis made a very interesting set of claims in response to some of the question I (and many, many people) had. He assured us that the images of those killed and the stories many of us had heard were "burned into my mind and heart". But he also very strongly said "War brings on war! Violence brings on violence!" He is standing in the same position JPII did when he called on President Bush to not invade Iraq. And also, I think he sees that this could be a much bigger problem if another country gets involved in violence. Russia is not happy with the US's position and has ships in the area. But also, as the Pope pointed out, further violence could move more people into the surrounding countries as refugees or even put those countries and hence more people in danger. More pain, more injury, more death...in a country, region and world that has already seen too much horror this past year.
I posed to one of my local priests, "What do I tell the teens about Syria?". I wasn't just asking for them, but for myself. I couldn't see how we couldn't respond with force. I am a child of 9/11, a child of TSA screenings, wars in Iraq and Afganistan and "terrorism". All I've known is the decisions of the Gulf War, the Iraq War, etc: you piss us off or step out of line, the US is going to come after you. We are going to bomb you, invade you, and do enough to make you stop your unjust actions. To me, it was a very strange place to be when the Pope (whom I have a deep love for already) is facing off with your President. I knew this would also be the place many teens would be coming from. This is Father's answer to me, written as a prayer of the faithful he is currently using:
We pray for the situation in Syria as it continues to deteriorates. We pray for all involved.
We pray for the men women and children in the midst of the war, who did not ask for this war and live in this violence. God protect them.
We pray for our leaders and the leaders of the world, whose decisions are complicated and difficult. May the Holy Spirit enter into their lives and decisions.
We pray for the men and women of our military, may God keep them safe in all situations as they risk their lives.
We pray for peace and lessening of violence in the region.
This struck me. He admits, as do many, that they would not want the job of the President or a member of Congress. But he also made it very clear to me that our faith is supposed to critique our citizenship. And that to not agree with decisions made does not make you a bad citizen, but a citizen who in this case understands that the call of the Gospel is stronger then that of national security and international protection. I began quickly to realize that I had had much of that idea backwards for a good deal of my life because culture had shown me that military strikes and invasions were the only way to "find freedom".
To trust that things like talking and verbal commitments are going to work take a lot of faith. They are a tool I think we have lost. But the Pope is pushing for each of us to relearn that faith that the Spirit moves and breathes in us, and that by opening the door to work for peace, even if its a tiny bit, He can be let in. And only through God can we find true freedom.
The prayer service tomorrow night in Rome will begin with a prayer for the indwelling of the Spirit. And maybe what Francis is also showing us is that we have to trust in one another again as well. We have to let God be God, and trust that in the end, we are all human. Maybe the leaders of Syria are as selfish and awful as we are being led to believe. But they still are children of God. If they did use chemicals against their own people, they should be held accountable. But we should seek conversion of heart, not a self-righteous sense of justice, no matter how horrible the situation. We should do everything to protect the innocent. But when we cannot protect our own (the poor, the unborn, the abused and marginalized) what gives us the right to take the place of God? Do we really trust the words of the Bible, that tell us that God is in control and that he will have the last say? And do we love first, like He showed us?
In closing, if we want to understand the reason the Pope is calling for peace, let us remember the words of Jesus Christ in the Gospels...
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us...
May those words ring in every heart tonight as we pray for the people of Syria. The Lord is working on my heart to remember his promises and his call to discipleship, especially in moments like these. My prayer tonight is that He does the same for all people of faith.
God's love and mine,
Chris
