In the wake of the horrible events of this week, I wanted to share with this community an email I received last night from my dear friend Gina Rose Halpern who is a clinical chaplain at the Kaiser Hospital in Vacaville, California. It touched me deeply and is an instruction to all of us as we struggle to make sense of what we have just been through. I quote the email in its entirety.
Dear Friends,
All week I have been reflecting on what happened in Boston on the day of the Marathon. It has taken many days to put my thoughts into words. When I look back on Boston, and the children lost to violence earlier this year, and our long history of humans at war, I feel such sadness for our world. I am filled with questions of what could make one individual, or a group of individuals, turn upon innocent people. I wonder what could I do to make a difference in the face of past and current history? Earlier today I received a letter from our local Rabbi Chiam Zaklos of Chabad of Solano County quoting his own teacher, Rabbi Schneerson...
The Rebbe taught that the response to evil and hate - is goodness and love. And that the response must be proportionate: the response to senseless hate is senseless love. We need to be as dedicated and "obsessed" with goodness as these evildoers are with hatred.
Here's, then, what I think we should be doing:
- Seeking out opportunities to help total strangers, impacting their lives in a significant way
- Sparing no effort, planning, expense, even some risk to accomplish this
- Seeking to take no credit for what we've done; all that matters is that other people's lives have been changed for the better
The Rebbe also emphasized time and again that goodness is far stronger than evil, much as a tiny flame dispels a room filled with darkness.
All week long I have been thinking of the great teachers from every tradition. Didn't Jesus tell us the greatest commandment was to "love one another," -John 13:34- Buddha on compassion and loving kindness. The opening of the Koran, "In the name of Allah the merciful and compassionate..." It is what we do in our own hearts and actions reaching across divides of faith and class, and politics to light that spark of kindness in our hearts for one another and our world. I believe that in the darkest times when we are robbed of the ability to pray, or care or hope, because our hearts are so full of suffering or grief or anger, that we are carried by the prayers, songs and gentle meditations of others.
"May You be free from suffering
May You know peace,
May All be free from suffering
May All know peace
without one exception."
Buddhist prayer of Loving Kindness
May we all pray for, and dedicate our meditations for one another and to increase the blossoming of goodness in our world.
As Chaplains and caring people may we know that each being that we tend with love, adds to balance the suffering around us with the full intention of our good hearts.
May we each in our own way flourish to the highest level of our potential and our greatest capacity for providing comfort, for creativity and joy.
May we rest and renew ourselves so that we may carry on the great work of caring for ourselves, each other and our world.
It is Spring, may we plant seeds and bulbs that will grow into beauty and be good food for our beings.
May our tears water what is coming into new life.
May we share the fruits of our efforts.
Ultimately these are my prayers for healing.
I wish you Every Blessing.