April 20th, 2013: Prayer for Humanity

Even though, from what I am reading online, those in Boston can sleep a little better because the two Tsarnaev boys have been caught, a great sadness envelops me.  I am purposely using the word boys because they were young men who still had a lot to learn in life.  They were young men who needed guidance and the hands of their community to grow into mature men in our society.  From what I have read, their family is in poverty, struggles with being immigrants in the US, and both boys lack guidance academically and professionally.  We also have to remember that while these boys have been connected to the bombings thus far, an investigation remains open.  We have to remember our system, innocent until proven guilty.  They are people, creations of God, and we must love them as such, even though their alleged actions are heinous. How often in our own communities do we neglect to guide and journey with those on the margins?  If we were more outwardly neighbors to young men and women in poverty and struggling, do you think the bombings or other violence would occur?  I am extrapolating information, but I think these are valid points for us to reflect upon.      

Lately there have been so many scary things occurring in our country - Newtown, a few years ago Gabrielle Giffords, potential bomb scares across the country at different universities, and now Boston.  If I think globally, places such as Juarez, Mexico, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, the violence in those areas are much worse - in the sense of causalities - than what is occurring in the US.  But then again, I ask myself, what is humanity doing?  And how are we, as Christians, responding locally and globally?  

I am the type of person who knows that even those who do the most heinousness of crimes have at least a little bit of goodness in them.  I believe in forgiveness.  I also believe that people have the capability to transform into the people Christ created them to be.  If you don't, I suggest you read "Dead Man Walking" by Sr. Helen Prejean.  

While the people of Boston are rejoicing that they can walk the streets again safely, I am still mourning the loss of the three people who have died in the bombings and the cop who was shot.  I am grieving for the lives of those injured, who cannot walk, and who have to re-learn what it means for them to 'be' in society without limbs and with the tragedy of the bombings ingrained in their psyche.  I am still crying over the Tsarnaev boys, their loss of innocence, life, and direction.  I weep for humanity.

I think Fr. James Martin SJ in a recent blog post states what I need to do today:

"In fact, after so much fear, violence and tension yesterday, especially in Boston, and especially in Watertown, today is probably a good day for quiet, for contemplation and for prayer.  And, again, there is much to pray for."

A.M.D.G.

Click here to read Fr. James Martin, SJ's Article

Here is a comment a former student from UNM made to this comment on facebook.  I think he raises valid arguments.  What's interesting is that after reading what Sean wrote, my own gathering of information, and talking to my mom about the information she has received, I am not sure what the facts truly are.  Regardless, I think Sean's comments are good to pray about.

Sean Williams, "A lot of good things here Rosie, and I do agree with most of the things you said-- especially the last 4 or 5 paragraphs. I do, however, disagree with some of what you said in your first paragraph.

While I do feel like what you've written there is the case for many people in the United States, from what I've heard and read about these brothers (and I've been following this story pretty closely) they were not at all on the margins. Both went to a renowned, diverse Massachusetts high school. The older brother went to college, was a good student, had a child and wife, and was a very good boxer and represented Mass. numerous times on a national level. The younger brother went to the same high school, was going to college currently where he received a scholarship, was a lifeguard and spoke about how he enjoyed saving lives doing that work, and had many American friends. They even grew up here in America as children and are really just as "American" as you and me. From all I can tell, these brothers received all the good America had to offer and were not on the margins in the least.

This is me extrapolating as well, but what I feel happened is that the older brother on his 6 month visit back to his home country began getting into radical Islamic beliefs and got latched onto a radical Australian preacher who showed him the ideas that inspired the bombings. I believe he came home and imparted these ideas on his younger brother who probably respected his older brother greatly and, while not being fully invested in these beliefs, joined in with his brother due to that respect he had for him. I think from looking at his Twitter account and seeing what friends have said of him there's enough evidence to show that he was, at his core, a good if obviously very misguided young man.

I guess I say all this because I think portraying them as men on the margins that America did a disservice to undermines the gravity of what they did. The facts, from what I can tell, show that they were not on the margins. They had been treated well by America. They were not forgotten about and ignored, like, say, the Columbine shooters. What they did is so much more insane because they WERE treated well by America; it makes it that much more mind boggling, and makes it that they need to be held all the more accountable. 

For me, this is a case of what radicalism causes. It pulled two men who had so much to do heinous things. And that's radicalism across all things--not just Islam, which is, I think sadly, what much of the media will turn this into. It's not about Islam or religion, but it's about religion in general turned to a radicalism that asks for a group of people to die. How these young men were enticed by that and how they ruined so many peoples lives I think is the saddest thing of all."