Last week in Tucson, Americans were called to renew our innate commitment to love and compassion. The memorial service at the University of Arizona sent waves of civility, humility, and respect through a grieving nation, recovering not just from the horrific shooting but months of indignant, painful political discourse.
A society founded on the power of divergent views and compromise, we had lost our way. But Tucson promises to bring us back. The President of the United States of America reminded us of who we are--and what we are capable of. As much as the messages resonated with me, I was most struck by the fact that it was the President who delivered them. Such themes--love, morality, relationships--are usually the realm of clergy, or therapists for that matter. But last week, they were handled with grace and force by our Commander in Chief.
As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.
So sudden loss causes us to look backward -- but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we've shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -- but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.
We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
January 2011
A society founded on the power of divergent views and compromise, we had lost our way. But Tucson promises to bring us back. The President of the United States of America reminded us of who we are--and what we are capable of. As much as the messages resonated with me, I was most struck by the fact that it was the President who delivered them. Such themes--love, morality, relationships--are usually the realm of clergy, or therapists for that matter. But last week, they were handled with grace and force by our Commander in Chief.
As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.
So sudden loss causes us to look backward -- but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we've shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame -- but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.
We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
January 2011
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