Our fears were raised once again as bombs went off in London July 7, killing and injuring pedestrians and commuters. As the news broke, we listened, trying to understand, many of us taken back to the horrifying day of the attacks of September 11, 2001. We were disgusted, horrified and scared all over again. What if…it happens here? What if…I am caught in one of the acts of violence? What if…it is my son or daughter, husband or wife who is hurt or killed?
If we allow them, the "what ifs" can go on forever and in time will change the way we live. We can see "bad guys" where they do not exist. We wonder what our course of action would be if an attack occurred near our home or workplace. We begin to avoid public places where crowds of people gather for concerts, sporting events, parties or cultural activities. Sometimes sleep is affected because that is when the human mind processes all that it attempted to ignore during the waking hours. In short, we can work ourselves into a frenzy worrying.
After the recent violence in London I went back to a book written by Father William John Fitzgerald, from Scottsdale, Arizona. His book "Living in the Shadow of Terror" offers sensible advice on dealing with fear and, although I have recommended it before, it certainly is worth a second look.
In addition to its eight short chapters on coping, hoping and growing in the shadow of 21st-century dangers, the book also addresses the "ordinary" dangers we all face at times: the loss of a job or home, a diagnosis of terminal illness, a divorce or betrayal by a spouse, injustice brought upon you by another, and various unexpected and difficult circumstances that arise over the course of a lifetime. The basic message of the book is that our spiritual resources help us survive in difficult times and therefore it is wise to attend to these resources.
Fitzgerald cites examples of terror throughout the centuries and strategies used by our ancestors to cope with the danger and upheaval. He does not diminish the effects of the current wave of terrorism, but offers a perspective that shows how generation after generation has lived and learned through the violence perpetrated by desperate, angry and sometimes fanatical people.
Throughout the book there is also a call for understanding --- understanding and questioning why the terrorism has been perpetrated. This is not to excuse the horrific acts of violence, but rather to attempt to figure out why people were pushed to such a degree of hate that they would want to kill fellow human beings.
Why is this understanding critical? Because violence begets violence --- in every relationship. On the most basic level, if a parent uses spanking (a mode of violence) as a tool to raise "well-behaved" children, these children likely will, in turn, do the same thing to their children until one day one of the offspring says, "Enough!" That will be the first step in building a family that acts out of mutual respect rather than fear. The same can be said for nations.
In a chapter of his book entitled, "Deepening," Fitzgerald says, "Now we need to deepen our faith, our hope in the future and our love for our brother and sisters around the world. We need to look beyond the surface of world events to see some of the underlying causes of turmoil and anger. We need a deeper spirituality, one that is unifying, connective and peacemaking. We need to go deeper and wider in our social-spiritual concerns. Our spirituality is now lived out in a global village."
There is no doubt that we live in the shadow of terror. If you are looking for tools to help deepen and widen your spiritual concerns in an attempt to deal with these difficult times you might start with Fitzgerald's book, as well as Robert Wick's book, "Snow Falling on Snow." Both offer simple personal ideas for praying and connecting with God. Anne Hansen is a parent education consultant and a parishioner at Blessed Junípero Serra Church, Camarillo. Her e-mail address is familymail@aol.com.
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