Sal's Reflections

There is no simple way to understand how one of the most civilized nations in the world could commit such horrific crimes but there are many lessons to be learned from the Holocaust. A great deal of the foundation was caused by words that reinforced that those being persecuted deserved their pain. Words have consequences, and even today we seethe results of harsh words that brand others. At times words prevent persons from their rightful privileges or allow others to scapegoat them. Words often are used to punish people of color, women and anyone who does not fit the cultural beliefs of the majority. The Holocaust started slowly, but words filled a nation with such hatred and bias that it literally killed millions. Today it is the responsibility of each of us not only to be aware of our words, but also to protect others from the consequences of angry, hateful speech.

My new novel”The Cross and the Swastika” will be published in August.The process of the first novel” Hitler’s Priest” has been fascinating and the learning has been mammoth. One of the key points learned was that every book needs to create a “Buzz” in order to each the maximum audience. In my case because of the intention of the work,to continue to remember and teach about the horrors of bias, it is critical to engage everyone I know in the process. As we proceed I will request your assistance in specific areas to get the message out. So many of you have already supported the work and I am thrilled that many have already offered continuing aid.

I have recently become keenly aware of the fact that more and more numbers of the younger generation are hungering for a more caring involved world. I see them offering their time and skills in causes, charities and events that make a difference.Certainly they want the material rewards of a career, and the many experiences that money affords, but they are realizing that there is more to life than the next toy. It may be fashionable in the media and idle conversation to brand them with labels of indifference, but if we listen to their yearning and walk with them as partners then great things will be accomplished.

Last night while being part of the team serving over two hundred homeless people for dinner the thought of the Good Samaritan parable suddenly struck me. As I placed vegetables on their trays I was struck by how many politely thanked us for what was probably the highlight of another difficult day. It is so easy to pass them on the street or shrug our shoulders by saying “it is sad but they are not my responsibility. “When you talk to them and understand that they are just people who often through no fault of their own are like the person in the Biblical parable. They are wounded physically and emotionally and are on the roadside or sleeping under a bridge. Many see them as “takers”and unworthy of our concern. Fortunately some like the good Samaritan see them as Rob Hess saw them. They are members of our communities that need us to stop and attend to them with care and attention.

When one listens to the news or reads all the dire predictions about the planet it is easy to become pessimistic. However, yesterday in a Washington soup kitchen I found many reasons to be hopeful. Serving over four hundred chronically homeless persons was an array of young professionals from every walk of life. Before going to their offices or academic posts they regularly started their day with service to others. Most were in the twenty five to thirty five age range and in conversations with some of them they offered that after college they needed ways to become other centered. In an era when it was often posited that our next generations have moved away from social involvement it was  uplifting to see the opposite in action.

Yesterday at Rob Hess’ funeral his daughters gave beautiful testimony to his life. They said he gave them “roots and wings.” The roots were all of the unspoken messages that enabled them to understand the values of a life spent for others. He never merely preached the values of community and service, he lived them, and so they saw and understood what he stood for and believed. The wings were in  the endless acts of encouragement that unconditionally enabled them to become the persons that were imbued with their own worthiness and value. They knew always that he loved and supported them. What a wonderful testimony to a life well lived that he gave them roots and wings. I hope that we understand the treasure involved in giving others “roots and wings”.

The unbelievable cold weather has made all of us in frigid climates left shivering for days. However, for many across this great land the cold poses the possibility of suffering and death. Tomorrow on a frigid morning a great man will be buried who cared every day of his life for the unfortunates who are huddled every night against unbearable cold. Rob Hess dedicated every ounce of his humanity to providing hope, housing and warmth to thousands. He never accepted the inevitability of what he referred to as “our national disgrace” and his presence will be sorely missed.

Home field advantage in Sports is quite an advantage, and more than frequently it provides an edge that leads to victory. The same is true in life because encouragement allows us to proceed toward positive goals and overcome our fears and failures. A kind word or the total acceptance of genuine listening fills others with the realization that someone cares. From infancy children are encouraged to take their first steps, and to speak their first words. The loving involvement of others is the fertile ground for growth and development. The support to continue to grow and thrive does not end in childhood. Neither does the need to encourage and be encouraged.

In the 1960’s Pope John had the courage and wisdom to realize that the Roman church needed a renaissance. The window was opened so that the church could become more than a depository of rules. There was energy and inspiration and literally millions grasped the opportunity for significant change. However like most institutions the church became fearful and leadership assumed a fortress mentality. The princes of the church, by and large, retreated from the willingness to renew and drifted further and further from the Sermon on the mount. The church became a place where many no longer had hope that the real message of the “good news” could be heard.

The window is open again, and Pope Francis has not significantly altered the rules, but he has breathe life into the church, and even those who remain skeptical are taken by this true pastor. His message is simple and  what originally  turned so many souls on fire because he has made the message vital and real.

I witnessed on television at the funeral service for a seventeen year old student murdered in Colorado an act of unbelievable forgiveness. Her father forgave in the name f his beloved daughter the student who took her life.He tearfully stated that to allow hatred in his heart woud be to continue the darkness that had allowed this tragedy to happen. I have seen this type of magnanimous gesture before when I was a student and Viktor Frankl explained to me why he did not hate the Nazi’s. These mammoth acts of courage and love force me to examine my own heart to assess whether there are lingering grudges or bile that needs to be dismissed. It is not naïve to realize that in the long run love is more powerful than hatred.