The wisdom of others
"At a time like this, when our whole nation and much of the world is reeling in horror at the tragedy which has taken place at Virginia Tech, it seems necessary to respond in some fashion," says Mark Sills, executive director of FaithAction International House. "What can we say, how can we react in a way that makes sense of such a senseless event? If you are like me, it is impossible to make sense of this, or even to express our feelings of grief and compassion for those who are suffering so much. Perhaps we can all draw some inspiration and insight from the wisdom of others: "
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Wisdom in a Time of Grief
Gandhi once said that for those who have genuine faith, there is no room for fear. Perhaps our faith is not as sure and genuine as we would want it to be, especially in a time like this. However, our various faith traditions certainly offer us words of comfort in times of tragedy.
The Qu'ran (Surah 13, Verse 28-29) reminds us: "Surely in the rememberance of God all hearts are comforted. Blessed are those who have faith (joy is for them), and bliss their journey's end."
The Baha'i leader Abdu'l-Bahá, in his book The Promulgation of Universal Peace said, "the mercy of God is infinite, and it is our duty to remember these departed souls in our prayers and supplications that they may draw nearer and nearer to the Source itself."
And so we pray, as individuals and in groups, seeking God's peace in a time of violence. We pray from the perspective of many faith traditions, but we are joined as one in our search for comfort, understanding, and healing. We ask God to "unlock the gates of true understanding and let the light of faith shine resplendent. Gather all people beneath the shadow of Thy bounty and cause them to unite in harmony." (from the Baha'i Prayer Book)
Jewish theologian Rabbi Berel Wein speaks of the traditional Jewish formula for dealing with tragedy. He points out that this formula is rooted in the halacha of aveilut, mourning itself. "The recognition of death and tragedy as being inescapable parts of one's life experience," he writes, "is what forms the underpinnings of that process of halacha which eventually leads to the ability to move forward in life even though one's heart may be forever irreparably broken."
And so, after a time of grieving we will, indivdually and as a society, move on. But hopefully we will move in a different direction because of our having confronted such tragedy.
In 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 1, verses 3-4 St. Paul provides a powerful message both of hope and of responsibility when he writes: "Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble."
This is, of course, the way we heal, by helping others heal. It is the way we move forward, even though our hearts are broken.
Venerable Yifa is a Buddhist nun from Taiwan who has written extensively on the Buddhist approach to life and its events, both positive and negative. She writes: "At any moment, we can find ourselves completely overwhelmed by the demands of our world. However, each individual should keep in mind that what they choose to dwell on shapes their reality. If we sink into negativity we are destined to live in a world shaped by such thoughts. Cultivating wisdom and selfless compassion is the surest way to transform our experience of this world."
May the God of mercy and grace help us all to put our energies into cultivating wisdom and selfless compassion, so we can help those who are suffering find comfort, and in so doing, help to heal the world.
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