I recently concluded a Franciscan Pilgrimage during which I visited a number of places with a special spiritual significance in the life of St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226). The pilgrimage began in Assisi and proceeded through the mountains and valleys of Umbria, Tuscany and Rieti, before finally ending in Rome.
The penultimate evening in Rome was dedicated to the enjoyment of a sumptuous cena (dinner) at a local Ristorante where we were joined by another group of American pilgrims. As the evening was ending the strains of God Bless America emanated from the Italian musicians entertaining us. Needless to say, all of us Americans proudly and loudly joined in, making for a beautiful ending to a wonderful evening.
But then an unsettling thought disturbed my reverie. Perhaps it was the influence of St. Francis of Assisi taking hold. I began reflecting on how Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat were similarly asking Allah to bless their dreams, and how Ariel Sharon was asking Yahweh to bless his ways of defending Israel. Clearly, our Pakistani and Indian brethren are praying for protective blessings even as they threaten each other with nuclear arms. And the Protestant and Catholic combatants in Northern Ireland are no doubt asking God’s blessings as well.
God Bless America – the last words uttered at the conclusion of every presidential speech. In fact, every presidential candidate, no matter how shallow or nonexistent his faith in God may be, would not dare to end a speech in any other way. And of course, since the tragic event of September 11, 2001, it has been sung scores of times at memorials, sporting events and gatherings of all kinds throughout our land. But aren’t we sorely missing the point? Perhaps what we need is a modern day Irving Berlin to compose a new song titled: “America Bless God.”
For inspiration as to lyrics we can look to St. Francis. During the last months of his life Francis composed what is reputed to be the first poem written in an Italian idiom, The Canticle of the Creatures. It begins,
Most high, all-powerful, all good, Lord!
All praise is yours, all glory, all honour
And all blessing.
Francis then proceeds to praise God for the abundant blessings that have been bestowed on the world without regard for artificial boundaries imposed by race, tribe, nation or religion. He does this by placing himself in a familial relationship with all of Creation. The Sun becomes Brother Sun, the Moon and Stars are Sisters shedding their light to illuminate the night. Other Brothers are the Wind, Air and Fire with all their brilliance and power. The Lord is further praised through,
Sister Earth, our mother,
Who feeds us in her sovereignty and produces
Various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Francis even embraces Death as a Sister. For death holds no fear to one who has lived a life in harmony with God and Creation.
Even as he approached death, Francis reconciled the Bishop and Mayor of his beloved Assisi, who were deeply divided in a conflict of hate and animosity, by inserting the following stanza in the Canticle:
All praise be yours, my Lord, through those who grant pardon
For love of you; through those who endure
Sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
By you, Most High, they will be crowned.
Finally,
Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks,
And serve him with great humility.
The United States is a nation already endowed with great gifts. In addition to those of natural origin, we have, through the unfolding of our military and economic history, achieved a singular status in the world. We enjoy unprecedented dominance and power and an almost unlimited array of possessions. Isn't it time to bless God through honor and praise and enlightened unselfish love of our neighbors? Given the enormity of our abundance, we most assuredly will be judged based on how we shared it with the rest of the world.
The independence of our nation was established over 200 years ago as our forefathers claimed the “unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” bestowed upon all men created equal as children of God. Without exception, every President pays lip service to such beliefs and seizes upon every photo-op to attend a religious service, Scripture in hand, head reverently bowed or eyes ecstatically uplifted with lips moving reverently in prayer.
George W. Bush, when asked during his run for the presidency, listed Jesus Christ as the person he most admired. He claims a “born again” experience and is reputed to pray often and even feel the prayers of others on his behalf as he executes his role of Chief Executive of the United States of America. St. Francis would have nodded in approval as candidate Bush spoke of how, if elected, he would bring a greater sense of humility to our dealings in foreign affairs and how he would employ a compassionate conservatism in domestic affairs. The attack of September 11, 2000, though, seems to have affected the virtues of humility and compassion within our President from the moment he began waging his War Against Terrorism.
The use of overwhelming force in Afghanistan may have routed the Taliban and seriously inconvenienced al Qaeda, but, as in all military actions involving the use of air power and remote missile launching, may also have killed or injured thousands of innocent civilians.[1] Such “collateral damage” cannot be justified merely because it is not intended. We must begin acknowledging that the casualties resulting from our bombs are as inevitable as those resulting from the purposeful targeting of our citizens – especially when we face enemies who use their own people as “human shields.” After all, the loss of innocent life in Afghanistan or elsewhere is no less a tragedy than those lives lost at the World Trade Center.
Indeed, humility and compassion seem in short supply as we prepare to launch a massive invasion of Iraq. Insufficient room remains for debate over peaceful means of achieving a just end to the troubling issues at hand. Too many members of the current Administration seem hell-bent on a course of war as the only option, which begs the question: Where is Jesus Christ in all of this?
St. Francis remains a relevant force throughout the world, recognized and respected by diverse cultures and religions, because his love for Christ manifested itself through the way he lived the sentiments expressed in his Canticle of the Creatures. Unlike most politicians, Francis actually lived the life he preached.
In order for a president to be similarly honored and praised 800 years after he departs the scene, he must leave a legacy in which the response to injustice was not a greater injustice, where removal of an unfriendly nation's weapons of mass destruction was not achieved by the pre-emptive raining of our own weapons of mass destruction down upon that nation's people. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the scorched-earth policies of Vietnam, the cluster bombs and depleted uranium missiles of Bosnia, the Gulf War and Afghanistan all unleashed “mass destruction” upon thousands of conscripted enemy troops and innocent civilians. And in many cases, through so-called “friendly fire” and resulting syndromes, many allied personnel were similarly affected (e.g., over 220,000 “Gulf War Syndrome” claims have been granted to date [2]).
If there is one lesson to be learned from all of human history it is that true and lasting peace is almost never achieved as the result of war. Since an “eye for an eye” results in the blinding of both sides, maybe it is time to turn to the Sermon on the Mount as the blueprint for living. Please, Mr. President take this opportunity to show the people of the world how to be peacemakers and true children of God. Then maybe God will bless America and the world.
Domenick Morda is a Secular Franciscan trying to live a Gospel-inspired life. You can email him at carlfurillo@aol.com.
END NOTES
[1] See Operation Enduring Freedom: Why a Higher Rate of Civilian Bombing Casualties
[2] See May 2002 Gulf War Veterans Information, September 10, 2002