The evening of the bombing at the Boston marathon, I went to my meditation space to pray for the people of Boston. As I sat down on my cushion, something took hold of my mind insisting I pray for those who placed the bombs. Something—I’ll call it Love—was aching for the wholeness of the perpetrators. Something—I’ll call it Love—was asking that I embody it by refusing to exile anyone from its circle of care.
At first I found it offensive. How could I pray for people who do such things, who plot the killing and maiming of innocent people? And yet I sensed there was a wiser spirit at work that I trusted and wanted to heed, and so I did.
As I prayed for them, I seemed to be taken to another plane— to Love’s vantage point—where I could see the tragedy in its entirety. Not only the horror of the casualties, but the tragic brokenness of anyone who could carry out such an abhorrent act. My heart ached for them all.
In my understanding, the fundamental spiritual truth is that all things and all beings are interconnected. We are all part of one Reality—I’ll call it Love—that animates the Universe. Atrocities such as the marathon bombing do violence to that fundamental truth of interconnection by enacting a story of division. They are assaults on Love.
But because Love is the Reality of complete oneness, even those who enact the story of division are not—cannot—be cast out of Love, because there is no “outside” of Love.
Once when I was walking a labyrinth on retreat, I received a teaching. “There are no enemies,” it said. “There are only those who do not know who they are.” There are only those who are not conscious that they are cells, as we all are, in the one body of Love.
And yet it’s hard to hold onto the consciousness of Love when we witness actions that inflict devastating suffering. In the face of attack we tend to go on attack, and thus lend our energy and intention to the very script of violence and division we abhor. In other words, we, too, take on the role of enemy. We, too, forget who we are.
In moments like these I remember that Jesus told people to love their enemies and to pray for their persecutors. There was a time when I understood his words as a command, something we should do if we wanted to be good people (better, that is, than our “enemies”).
But now I see that he wasn’t issuing a command or even admonishing people to claim the moral high ground. He was pointing the way out of the madness, like an illuminated exit sign above the door of a burning theater. “Here is the way out of the nightmare,” he was saying. “Love those who are playing the role of enemy and enacting the violent story of division and, by the very act of loving them, you nullify the story that has them in its grip.”
I wonder what it would be like if, whenever one of these horrific attacks occurred, we all banded together to pray not only for the victims, but just as fervently for the perpetrators—for their wholeness and that they might remember who they truly are. I know that those who engaged in such prayer would be changed. So too, I suspect, would the perpetrators.
I’ve never run a marathon, but I know people who have. I’ve heard how grueling it can be, how intense the training is, how you have to press on through the pain, how you have to keep running just when everything in you is screaming to quit.
And I’ve been thinking how maybe the reason we’re all here on this planet is because we’re in training for Love’s marathon. We’re here to press on through the pain, and the weariness, and the heartache. We’re here to learn how to stay the course of Love—to remain in the truth of Love—no matter what.
I’m pretty certain that whenever any of us manages to cross the finish line of Love’s marathon, we bring Martin’s dream of peace that much closer.
I heard a physicist recently talk about how we are literally made of stardust. And that each time we breathe, we breathe in atoms of everyone — every being — who has ever inhabited the planet. (What does that do to your ideas about death?) So perhaps love and particle physics are one and the same: the interconnectedness. Maybe the Higgs Boson is the Love particle.
Incredible, isn’t it? When I really think about how my very breath connects me to *every* living thing, and my own body is made of the stuff spewed out by supernovas it sort of blows my mind. It makes me remember a previous blog post I wrote about that topic, “Enough Already”
I also think of Thich Nhat Hanh’s term “Interbeing”, which refers to this fundamental truth of interconnectedness. We inter-are. I love that.
Thanks, once again, Patricia. I am learning that lesson of praying for those who do tragic deeds. And always, my first thought is for the victims and their family and friends – and then I breathe……..and the Love seeps in. Thank you for writing it so beautifully.
Thank *you*, Lynne, and I find the same is true for me. My first thought is for the victims and their loved ones. I guess it’s a matter of continually being reminded (or re-minded, as the case may be).
Patricia – another terrific piece!! I too find it difficult to keep a focus on the love required for the perpetrator(s) but there is a secondary reason. How can I love that part of ME who did this horrific thing??? If we ARE all one (and we are), then some aspect of me allows such behavior to manifest itself. To use the cell analogy, since we know that in nature there are such things as malignant cells, how do we, in our attempt to stay loving, relate to those malignancies determined to impose their “gene pool” on those parts of us trying to contribute to a more positive evolution?? I think I’ll try to conjure up an answer, but I look forward to your thoughts.
Thanks Be!!!!
Ed, I couldn’t agree more. I think what you’re speaking of in terms of acknowledging every aspect of who *we* are is key. I remember after 9/11 I felt compelled to deepen my own meditation practice. At first it seemed like such “navel gazing” response to the tragedy, and yet something in me felt I had a sacred duty to do that. I think at some level I understood that no matter how much I may want to be an agent of change in the world, if I haven’t come to know myself deeply and done the work to integrate the shadow parts of myself, I’ll just be replicating the same dysfunction that’s already tearing the world apart. Peace begins within, as so many have said, and what I have found is that the only way to find wholeness is to love even those parts of myself that I may not want to claim. It’s a radical act for sure, and I appreciate your honesty about the courage that takes!
P.S. My head hurts – the conundrum is almost too much to get a grip on!!!
Keep breathing! 🙂
thank you, patricia. as always. your words are beautiful, so challenging, and so true.
Thank you, Susan.
Love’s Marathon was an excellent post. Do you mind if I share this?
Cindy
Thanks, Cindy, for the affirmation, and by all means, share!
Patricia, Thank you so much for reminding me of the importance of Love and the lesson that Jesus was really trying to teach. Your article is beautifully written. Xo
Thanks, Patty. xo to you, too!