Sue Levesque, in last Sunday’s bulletin reflection asked, “Where do we find peace?”, “Where do we find hope?” She asked the further question, “Why do we come to Mass?”
The list of cities which begins this reflection are places that we are more familiar with because newspapers and the electronic media highlighted these tragedies. The reaction of people to such tragedies varies according to nationality, religion, culture prejudice, along with other emotions. Flowers are left at the scene of the attack and it in turn becomes a shrine to those who have lost their lives; memorial services are held both religious and patriotic as well as secular. As we try to make sense of such violence, if one is religious, it will depend upon one’s view and understanding of God. Those who have an Old Testament religious outlook will interpret such as the work of a revengeful God punishing sin.
Those who believe in Jesus and have a New Testament approach will try to understand such evil not so much as caused by God but may well ask the question, “Why does God permit such evil, such tragedy, such violence to happen?”
It is not God that creates or causes evil. Human beings are the cause of the evil in our world; human beings with their ability to do good or evil choose one over the other because they are free. God took an awful chance in making us in his own image and likeness which primarily makes us rational free beings.
What is the answer? There is no one answer. My view and understanding of God will dictate how I will respond and that is where the problem is. One shudders reading the responses of certain individuals, especially politicians. People have been very much impressed by the response of the Chief of Police in Dallas. We Christians should have only one response and that is the response Jesus would give. Pope Francis has interpreted what Jesus would do in declaring this a Holy Year, highlighted by mercy and forgiveness. However, it is not quite as simple as that, for justice needs to be part of our response.
-Fr. Bill Mulligan