T
|
he events that
occurred at the Boston Marathon yesterday were absolutely horrific. The
disregard (maybe even disdain?) for human life is difficult to fathom. How
could human beings ever become so hardened that they could inflict such
suffering on fellow humanity?
In some ways, I have
almost started to anticipate these tragedies – whether they are self-inflicted
from other humans or brought on from the tireless wrath of nature. Still, I’m
not sure exactly how to feel about that. Is it healthy to expect evil? Am I
rotting my soul to allow those thoughts space inside my consciousness?
Nevertheless, I am
reticent to relinquish all hope in mankind and I think I have good reason for
that hesitancy. For, there is true beauty to be found staring back into the face
of mal-adapted humanity. There is good that can be sifted from the overwhelming
pain of undeserved suffering. That beauty can be found in the heart of the
doctor, who finished the Boston Marathon and then, dehydrated and tired as he
was, went directly to the emergency center to care for his fellow human beings
injured by the explosions. That good can
be seen in the actions of the police officers, firefighters, and other
emergency responders who swarmed the scene to give security, care, and love to
those who desperately needed it.
This outpouring of
love and compassion is exactly why I still believe in humanity! This is why I
still believe that somewhere (however deep down and sullied on the surface)
there is goodness in the heart of men. Because it seems to me that whatever
great terror other humans (or nature) can bring on humanity, there are always
people ready to counter just as strongly with love and compassion. That is
truly beautiful!
Now, don’t get me
wrong. I don’t think this is a salutary goodness. I don’t think that humanity
will all of a sudden rise up and accomplish their own salvation (I don’t expect
the Red Cross to start handing out indulgences, etc.).
Nevertheless, the
reality of this compassion gives one a moment of pause. What’s the source of
this beauty? How can such goodness
exist? In a world where people exemplify hatred and live disastrously
inharmonious lives, how can mercy still arise?
I think St. Gregory of
Nyssa speaks to this moment very poignantly when he says:
“Hope always draws the soul
from the beauty which is seen to what is beyond, always kindles the desire for
the hidden through what is constantly perceived.”
Surely this beauty,
this goodness, this mercy, this love, must draw us beyond it’s own existence to
the source of all virtue. I do not think it is just happenstance that these
beautiful things (compassion, love, etc.) are always present in the wake of
extreme dissonance. Indeed, these
virtues are the very clue that there is still a Divine presence in the world –
that there is still a Divine image in man.
So, while frustration,
anger, and sadness might be filling your heart today as you reflect on
yesterday’s tragedy, I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on the
beautiful things that exist in the wake of misfortune. Take a moment to reflect on the compassion and
love that this revealed in the hearts of men. I challenge you to see the image
of God all over the reaction of men as they care for others. How about we let
that idea disseminate throughout social media?
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