In Galilee, learning to become a blessed disciple

Dear John Dear...What a wonderful, peace-giving message from Galilee. What has happened to our world, to our churches? Thomas Merton said, "One of the great problems of religion in our time is posed by the almost total lack of protest on the part of religious people and clergy in the face of enormous social evils". We must return to the non-violence of Jesus. Thank you so much! Tom White, Minnesota

Thanks so much, John, for the wonderful peace-giving journey. We could almost feel we were there. Yes, where is the government or the churches? As Thomas Merton said: " One of the great problems of religion in our time is the almost total lack of protest on the part of religious people and clergy in the face of enormous social evils." You are covering for a great number of them. Our Thanks! Darlene and Tom White

Fr John,

You've got to be kidding me! Here we are four days into Obama ordering missle and airplane attacks on Libya - without the benefit of months and months of warnings, repeated UN resolutions, negotiation teams, inspectors, 5th, 6th, 9th, and 12th chances to comply, without the participation of GERANY - and didn't we learn from the war in Iraq that without the full participation of France AND Germany, there is no COALITION, and hence this becomes a "unilateral" action, and so forth.

Plus you've got several other articles posted where you blast "the military" for using drone attacks - as if they are doing so on their own volition.

Why don't you get off your ideological horse - or at least take it's blinders off, and shower the same derision on the current president that you did on the last.

NO BLOOD FOR OIL. NO WAR. Peace is the answer! (Right?)

I'm sorry, but I fail to see anywhere in Scripture wherein Jesus makes political condemnations of the Roman Empire. Indeed, the opposite appears to be the case, He heals the Roman centurion's servant, He commands people to pay the taxes to Caesar. He does not condemn the Roman, nor does He, at any time, tell soldiers to lay down their arms. He does tell His followers to love one another, and that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends, but these messages can hardly be limited to the Jewish people of the time, they are messages for all, and they are not contrary to imperialism.

This is a wonderful reminder of the essence of our faith...timely as Lent carries us forward to that crucial weekend. The Galilean setting returns us to the cradle of the Gospel teachings, and their relevance amid the continuing rush of warplanes across the deserts of the Mediterranean.

"A specter still hovers over Galilee -- this time in the form of the U.S.-backed Israeli occupation of the nearby Palestinians."
so now we have to give up the galilee too - that's even part of the UN PARTITION jew-land, johno.
the only "institutionalized injustice" here is that of a media outlet spouting your hate.

I hate to admit that my first reaction when I read about John Deare going on a pilgrimage back in 1982 sitting on the shores of Lake Galilee, near the place where Jesus gave us the Beatitudes , was one of envy and at the same time feeling like it was very much an ivory tower kind of experience, especially at this moment in history when the Middle East is so full of turmoil. Having gone through a war as child, a war that has reverberated through my entire life and now as an older person watching what has visited us during the last few decades, whether through more wars, natural catastrophies, economic or nuclear meltdowns, the scripture of "Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men and women" doesn't have nearly the appeal as "Come all you who find life burdensom and I will give you rest for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (I quote neither scripture accurately...just the gist of the message). Yet I know what John Dear writes is on target...we have to follow as discriples of Jesus but how do you do that in times like these... Jesus told Peter to put away his sword....how do we put away our swords in our time ?

mr scanlon:
if you need me to explain the difference between the israeli regime and the libyan one, there's pure nada to talk about.
if you can't see the difference between killing a child coz he's being held as a human shield and cutting a baby's throat in its sleep, you are insensitive.
if you cant understand why i hate a person who has f***all at stake adding fuel to the fire that is consuming children on both sides of the fence (mine included) merely to promote his own speaking tours and pre-vat-2 agenda then ... sorry.

Well said, Fr. John. I have been to Galilee and to the very temple you've described (ironically, while I was in the military). It is a beautiful place. Although I wasn't a Christian then, it was around that time that the tiny mustard seed in my soul began to grow. For years now, I have struggled in my mind and in my heart with issues of war and peace, politics and economics, political parties and political movements. It's endless. During this Lent, it has become increasingly clear to me that what people believe makes no difference: it's what they do that matters. I, for one, am trying to focus my efforts on 'the least of these,' by supporting a child through WorldVision, by reducing the amount of meat I eat (good for the environment, good for the poor), and by trying to be a more peaceful person in my life and interactions. These are small things, but as Mother Teresa said, God does not expect us to do great things. He expects us to so small things with great love.

The world is full of noise. "Help us to be still." (T.S. Eliot)

God bless you,

Michael

Sometimes, I tire of Fr. John's continuing tirades on behalf of his friends, the Palestinians. Has there been unfair, unjust, and even criminal treatment of them in instances? Yes. Have they sent 30 missiles a month randomly into Israel, selected a terrorist organization (Hamas) to represent them, attacked and butchered settler families, and sent suicide bombers ("murderers") among the innocent? Yes, again.

Yet Fr. John never mentions the latter, just the former. Maybe if these pacifists could convince the Palestinians to end their campaigns, the Israelis could be convinced to end their campaigns. Even a Truce would be a step in the right direction.

Please stop with the one-sided views of the "good Palestinians," and the "evil Israelis." It's simply not true.

Having just spent 12 days in Israel in January, 11 I was walking with you once again on that journey. It was truly a pilgrimage I will never forget and hopefully will continue my work for peace and justice. Norma Knigge Sioux Falls, SD

Anger is chaos suffering and impermanent. Decline of empires and the personified Gods within these empires are very salient examples of angers impermanence. Acknowledge our loving God, who is not of gender or form but the essence of pure love. Whos reality is in our seeking the peace of love. Its is the reality in which we seek the peace of love that is the reality of God. Fulfill the intended...

"I'm sorry, but I fail to see anywhere in Scripture wherein Jesus makes political condemnations of the Roman Empire."

It doesn't need to be explicitly stated. The historical context of the time is such that the Roman Empire ruled oppresively and the people chafed under it and hated it. Jesus ministry went on in that context and it would have been impossible for it to have not affected his ministry. Jesus was killed because he was a revolutionary and a threat to the Roman Empire and the religious leaders who were in a twined relationship with the Roman Empire.

Well written Father Dear

I believe that Father Dear makes a point that violence begets violence. Since 1840 or before Americans set forth first to dominate the continent and then the Pacific and the hemisphere. Since WWII our policy is to dominate the world. We use business, money, diplomacy, surrogate soldiers and finally our own military to get our way. True some countries are resisting but all must consider us since our ships and submarines cruise their shores. We appointed ourselves as police for the world. The more we try to control things, the more involved we get. Father Dear points a way out of this mess if we would only take it. Of course that would mean that the 6th Fleet would leave the Mediterranean.

If we were only trying to defend the shores of America, would we need as big a military as we have now? Like all empires the structure will collapse, someday.