Reflection: History Past and History Yet To Be by Sr. Ann Hayden
Reflection: History Past and History Yet To Be
November
4, 2019
By
Ann Hayden, MM
History has long given us endless examples of violent
efforts to decimate culture, art, religion and tradition built up by peoples
that are feared, hated, and sacrificed as scapegoats to bigoted ideals of supremacy
and power. The violence has been unrelenting and can be
chronicled in the stories of ancient conquests; of middle-age crusades; of
inquisitions; of reformations; of religious persecution; and of 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, and
21st
century modern colonization of natural resources, slavery,
and wars fostered by European, Middle East, Asian and North American military,
economic, religious, and political powerbrokers.
In our lifetime and the lifetimes of our parents and grand-parents,
human beings (like you and me) have been forced onto reservations, have been
trafficked as slaves, murdered in pogroms, gassed in trenches and concentration
camps, and have been dumped into mass graves of genocide throughout Europe,
Africa, Central and South America, the Middle-East, South-East and Far East
Asia, Pacific Island Nations, and the U.S.
With the non-stop nature of modern warfare and within the clear results of climate change, the poor and the marginalized experience the collapse of
their bioregions and of their cultural and familial support systems. They are forced to flee their homes in fear
for their lives and for the survival of their families, becoming the next
endless wave of displaced persons joining the long lines of immigrants seeking
safety and stability anywhere except where their home used to be. Not too long ago the U.S. (even with all it faults)
was thought to be a place where the poor, displaced, or the religiously
persecuted from around the world could begin again in a society that was aware
of and proud of its immigrant roots.
Sadly today, the political and religious will to welcome the stranger and reach out to the poor and persecuted seems to be
waning. And, while efforts to restore
national dialogue around and support for basic human rights is clearly
important, the way forward right now often lies in local grassroots efforts
among people of diverse faith and diverse cultural roots to open our hearts and
the doors of our prayer space to a dialogue that can, in the light of our
mutual concerns in life, grow among us a sense of mutual understanding and
friendship. Our common concerns can bring us to take concrete action with and
for each other in a solidarity that provides paths for mutual support in times
of basic human need within the larger local community.
These days it seems that every cell in my brain is screaming
– STOP! And that every cell of my heart cries out - LOOK! LISTEN! STAND
TOGETHER! If we hope to restore a sense of justice, a semblance of peace, and true human
solidarity on this earth of our common origins, the horrific tapestry of history that is deeply
stained by death and destruction cannot be ignored, covered up or sanitized in
any sense within our time. Instead, as
people of faith, we are called to stand together now with open eyes, open
hearts, and open ears attuned to the truth of our brotherhood and sisterhood as
children of the one God of all names who offers each of us a full measure of
Light, Love, Mercy and Fullness of Life. We can build together a window on the world that no longer reflects the
stains of violence. We can build a window of clarity, crystal
clear and acting as a prism for God’s own light among us. God’s light shining through that prism shows
us who we can become when united in the purpose of peace. It reveals to us our gift to one another. We
are the gift of colors, faiths, cultures
and traditions - different yet equally important - to
the wholeness of humanity standing together as the people of earth in the Light
of God.
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