This morning I read on CNN that a parishioner at the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in West Palm Beach asked that a prayer be offered for Osama Bin Laden at an upcoming service, and that Father Gavin Badway agreed to offer it. Every morning I read the news online, and in most cases it just leaves me sad and/or angry. This news, however, gave me a sense of quiet happiness.
I wrote a letter of support to Father Badway this morning, and I thought I’d also share it here. I’m well aware that all of the reactions to Father Badway’s decision, and to this letter, won’t exactly be positive, but so be it.
Here it is:
Dear Father Badway,
I just read on CNN that you have accepted a parishioner’s request for a prayer for Osama Bin Laden at your Church, and I wanted to write and express my support for what you’re doing.
Although I am not a Catholic (I was raised as one) nor a Christian, I am a devoted believer in the teachings of Jesus, and in any spiritual teachings that also place emphasis on love, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness (to some, I know, that might sound like foggy, heretical, “New Age” thinking, but my understanding and beliefs are very clear!). So often, I hear Jesus’ ideals being spoken about, but practiced only at the convenience of those who claim to espouse them. All too often, intolerance and hatred trump Jesus’ message of unconditional love for God and one’s neighbor.
I should also say that I was within view of the Twin Towers on 9/11, and I was a first-hand witness to the way in which that horrible day unfolded. I could see people jumping to their deaths, and I watched people walking in a daze for months, unable to comprehend the losses. I thank God that I didn’t lose anyone I knew personally on that day, but in the months that followed it felt as if we all knew each other. What happened on 9/11 was absolutely evil, and will have an effect on all of us for a very long time.
But there is horrifying evil perpetrated every day, perhaps to a lesser degree in terms of its effects, in every country, and in almost every heart. There is racism, and abuse, and violence, and intolerance, and groundless cruelty–so much so that it can seem to obscure the acts of love committed every day, and everywhere, as well. Jesus certainly alluded to that when he said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
What you and that one parishioner are doing, Father, is an act of love, and one that would give Jesus great joy, I believe. It certainly gives me a sense that there is still love in this crazy world to help offset the evil, and people who are willing to stand up for those things in the face of great hostility. Words are usually meaningless; it’s only by truly and without conditions living by Jesus’ example that we can change things.
I do believe that Osama Bin Laden may now be given–as we all will–the opportunity to clearly see the great evil that he has done, and perhaps to start the long task of trying to make amends. In the meantime, thank you for giving all of us a chance to look into our own hearts and try to shed some light into the darkness that may be there and dispel it. You will no doubt be having a tough time in the near future. I just wanted to let you know that you do have some support.
I hope that if there are others out there who share my sentiments on this, they will also lend support to Father Badway (he can be contacted through the Church’s website). I’m sure that he will need it.
