Hatred is the acid
by George L.W. Werner

Hatred is the acid, which destroys its own container. Enmity, bitterness, revenge could well be added to that old adage. As we approach Christmas 2001 there are images burned into our minds that will never go away.

I was leaving the house to fly to LaGuardia when I received a call from my daughter in Colorado. The four days of meetings I could not miss were immediately cancelled. There were other things wiped away as well. Security and contentment were replaced by terror and dread. One son called from Manila where had seen the horror on CNN while at a restaurant for dinner. It took a couple of hours before our other son could get through.

Then other calls followed. Would I return to my old radio station and do the four hours of early morning drive time? Would I be the keynote speaker for the opening convocation of a women's college? Could I find the language to explain to those who had never experienced this kind of paralyzing fear? What context might I share to help find a way to the future?

The answer was Oklahoma City. Six years ago, on an April morning filled with promise, a rental truck filled with fertilizer exploded and the people prayed for "survivors, loved ones and those whose lives were changed forever." It was so senseless, so horrible, so devastating and so terribly, terribly infuriating.

The accused referred to the dead children from the daycare center as "collateral damage."

The Middle East, the Balkans, Ireland, Afghanistan… it doesn't matter… images of dead or damaged children, helpless pawns in the way of someone else's "right" becomes my justification for rage, hatred and revenge.

Yet, it is Advent. It is a time to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. "Be ye angry and sin not" read the old translation. On a quiet day, many years ago, the leader offered us a vision of "turning the other cheek."

In Oklahoma City, 350 "survivors, loved ones and those whose lives were changed forever" became a committee whose mission was to heal their community. In their words, "profound evil was met with profound love." Everything was done by consensus. Several secret ballots, though concerning complex issues, were unanimous.

With Martin Luther King, Jr., I have a dream that we turn away from hatred, bitterness, enmity and revenge and employ the weapons of forgiveness, thanksgiving, hope and gracious love. That is helpful to my understanding of Advent's "casting away the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light."

George L.W. Werner is President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church, USA. He can be reached by email at gwerner@episcopalchurch.org