What’s It Going to Take to End the Violence?

There is a lot of violence in the world today. We see the wars between Israel and Hamas, and the Ukraine and Russia. How many mass shootings have there been recently in our Untied States? Maine, Cincinnati…

What’s it going to take to end the violence?

Tears…

Yes, Tears…

How are tears going to help?

I don’t mean a few tears here and there. I mean deep, heartful tears by a lot of people. Tears that lead us to change the channel from the news to something else aren’t going to help. We need tears that come from the very depths of who we are. These are the tears that motivate us to do something.

How do tears help? When they come from the depths of our hearts, tears can lead us to see as God sees. “But the Lord said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The Lord looks into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). These tears can help us see what we might do to help the world become a better place. What do we pray in the Lord’s Prayer? “Thy kingdom come.“

Tears can help us see that present political divisions aren’t leading to good solutions, just more division. It is time to let go of our divisions. The divisions are full of hatred. Such divisions can’t lead us to find good solutions. The hatred takes up room meant for God in our hearts. The divisions become about winning, winning that is based on pride and proofing ourselves right.

Hatred only leads to more hatred. We see this in the anti-Semitic attacks presently going on even in the United States. The war between Israel and Hamas does not just effect them. It effects the whole world. It is very unfortunate that Christianity was seen as being against the Jews for so long. The Gospel of John can be read to interpret that all the Jews opposed Jesus. Of course, many did. But not all. The Jewish faith is the origin of our Christian faith. We worship the same God. It is time to stop blaming them for things. It is our sins that led to Jesus’ Crucifixion. It is time to stop the blame game with any group that we don’t agree with. It is time to truly love our neighbor with the love from our heart that leads us to tears.

Is the present condition of the world enough to make you cry from your heart?

Some think tears are a sign of weakness. Tears are only a sign of weakness if you think it is weak to love.

Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus and the lack of faith in others regarding Lazarus’ death (see John 11:35).

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem for the last time before his Passion, “he saw the city and wept over it” (Luke 19:41). Jesus then said, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42).

Jesus gave us his mother to be our mother (John 19:26-27). Mary weeps for her children when she sees the violence we commit against each other. (If you search on the internet for stories of Mary weeping, you can readily find stories of statues of Mary weeping).

Mary weeps. Jesus weeps. God weeps. God is present at each act of hatred. He weeps at what we do to one another.

Then why doesn’t God stop it?

This is the question that many people ask. So, why doesn’t God stop it? Because we loves us.

Huh?

The fact that God loves us is the very reason we think He could stop the violence. To say He doesn’t because He loves this contradicts this. Can God stop the violence? Can God stop the hatred? Yes. However, to do so He would have to take away our free will.

Given the violence and the hatred in the world, it might seem like a good thing for God to take away our free will. I desire to give my will over to God. I pray we all would. However, that is different than God taking away our free will. Our desire to hand our will over to God’s is an act of trust in God. It is an act of love. However, if God takes away our free will, then we can’t love. Love is an act of our will. It must be our free choice or it is not love.

There are many, even among those who actively live a God-centered life, who aren’t yet willing to truly hand everything over to God. Are you? Are you willing to do whatever God asks of you? Are you willing to let go of every single bit of hate that you have against anyone and everyone?

Jesus wept. Mary wept. Do you weep? Do you weep from the depths of your heart?

What can you do to make the world a better place? What can you do for the building up of God’s kingdom?

First, hand everything over to God.

Then, ask God if there is something specific He wants you to do. Trust that God has given you the gifts to do whatever He asks of you. It might be as simple as saying you disagree with someone who thinks acts of hatred and acts against life are good and/or justified. It might be alerting the police to suspicious activity you see. It might be signing a petition for life. I write this on election day. Is your faith part of your decision about who to vote for?

It might be to offer a day of fasting for peace. What difference will fasting make? Who’s going to notice? It would be easy to say no one in Israel will ever know I am fasting. People may not notice. Who does notice? God notices. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:16-18, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.“

The spiritual benefit of fasting is not about not eating as a physical act. It is about the love with which we sacrifice. The psalmist writes in Psalm 51:17-19, “Lord, you will open my lips; and my mouth will proclaim your praise. For you do not desire sacrifice or I would give it; a burnt offering you would not accept. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.“

What’s it going to take to end the violence? Tears, tears that flow from the depths of our “contrite, humbled hearts” to God.

Peace,

Fr. Jeff