OK, Osama’s dead. Yeah! Hooray! and all that stuff. He wasn’t a nice guy. And he was about a good of a Muslim as Pat Robertson is a Christian. They’re both terrorists. Hopefully they’ll meet soon. And while old Osama’s getting acquainted with Attila, Genghis and Adolf, don’t forget that God’s love is stronger than their evil and that eventually they’ll be reconciled with the Almighty. It may take a gazillion years, but that’s the way God seems to work.
Osama was a bad man, to put it overly mildly. At the same time, while he probably meant something different, his words were correct: “America is a decedent society.” If we look at where we are and what we’ve been doing for the last thirty years, it’s no wonder that we’re in the state we’re in. We’ve become a nation of narcissists for whom “it’s all about ME! I want it now! I want something better than you have! I deserve it because I’m ME!” Multiply that by 300 million and you have chaos.
But the Gospel isn’t about ME! It’s about US! (and I don’t mean the U. S.!) Jesus’ message is that we are all sisters and brothers bound together by the fact that we live on this planet and that our job is to look out for each other. And when we make decisions, we’re supposed to make those decisions based not only on how they will benefit “me,” but what the consequences will be on us as a whole. Unfortunately, we’ve forgotten all of that. Even American Christianity by and large has bought into the “me” thing. It’s all about me and my Jesus and my salvation. Yet, in the Early Church, “salvation” was a communal thing. One was “saved” by being part of the Christian community, being baptized into it and eating at the common table.
And the other Sages were all about the same thing: Buddha, Mohammad, Moses and Abraham, the writer of the Tao te Ching, Kung Fu Zu aka Confucius, etc.. Jesus is unique in many ways, but on this topic, he's one of many.
I had tea with my friend Mother Rebecca this afternoon and we talked about the fact that Osama may have killed 3,000 people on 9/11, but in the ensuing years, the previous administration then murdered over a million people - people who got the blame but had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 - just so they could reap billions personally for the sake of almighty oil. It makes one wonder who the real terrorists are. Are they in a far away land with rags on their heads or are they in our own back yards?
I was, for the first time in a long time, impressed by President Barry last night. His words weren’t about “me” but about “us.” So, I hope he takes his own words to heart. I hope and pray that he is able to show the same leadership in standing up to the Republicans and their plan to dismantle the American republic in favor of the rich at the expense of the rest of us. The Republicans are all about “me!” because “I” deserve it. But they don’t; not any more than the rest of us do.
So, Barry, keep that spine you just grew moving. Keep on talking about “us” and confront the “me’s.” Whether you know it or not, last night you stood on the side of Christ...and the rest of those folks. My prayers are with you.
Blessed Mother of God, pray for us. We need all the help we can get!
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