The Congress of the United States is debating whether to give President Obama the freedom to defend the helpless people of Syria against their own President by strategically attacking key military sites in Syria. It is a difficult and painful conversation. While everyone acknowledges that the world cannot stand by as people are slaughtered or forced to leave their country in terror, how to assist those in harms's way is a muddy and confusing maze.
Pope Francis, speaking as a concerned world religious leader with his heart embedded in the Gospel, has literally begged all involved not to resort to violence as a means to address the awful situation in Syria. Echoing the words of Pope Paul VI at the United Nations, Pope Francis cried: "War never again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and protected."
When we take time to put aside our own narrow political lenses and listen, especially to the people of Syria, we stumble upon others imploring our president not to attack Syria. A group of SyrainTrappist nuns penned an open letter to the President, "The people are straining their eyes and ears in front of the television: all they're waiting for is a word from Obama! A word from Obama? Will the Nobel Peace Prize winner drop his sentence of war onto us? Despite all justice, all common sense, all mercy, all humility, all wisdom?"
As the world once again struggles to move away from violence as a means to justice and peace, we continue to pray that those charged with these decisions will establish relationships between and among themselves that will allow them to continue to dialogue even when anger, rage, frustration and egregious acts of violence blind them.
Today, put aside violence in your hearts and homes.
How do you make decisions when faced with overwhelming problems?
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