I have no column for you this weekend. Instead, any wisdom I might offer comes from those of you who wrote last week, in response to my column about the mass murders at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

            Aside from one letter that accused me of assembling a misleading collection of facts to support my own biases, your comments were overwhelmingly supportive. 

            I closed that column with these sentences:

Almost a century ago, German philosopher Martin Buber … argued that we should treat other people as a “thou” – a person with whom I can have a relationship. This approach affirms that you are just as much a person as I am, even if you hold different religious beliefs. Or different political loyalties. Or different coloured skin. 

            Personally, I’m no longer convinced that Buber’s thesis is enough. We have now seen this planet from deep space. On this  “small blue marble” life is limited to a thin layer a few kilometres thick, called the biosphere. 

            So it is not enough, any longer, to apply the “thou” only to other humans. We need a one-to-one relationship with every living thing, from microbes to forests.

            Buber’s “I-thou” principle would be a good start. But it needs to go on, to “I-we.” 

            There is no “them” anymore.

Several letters picked up on that concept. I’m grateful for the contributions of Tom Watson, Clare Neufeld, Gloria Jorgenson, Deborah Lawson, Bill Rogers, James West, Heather Sanders, Isabel Gibson, and Bev Edwards-Sawatzky.

            But rather than print them all, I’m going with just one letter, from Mary Peterson, Minister of Gisborne Presbyterian Parish in New Zealand. Here’s what she wrote:

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 I feel that someone from New Zealand needs to respond and let you and your readers know that what you propose as a new way of thinking is exactly what is happening here.

            On 15 March, the day of the shootings in two Christchurch mosques, but before anyone knew how many had been killed and injured, our Prime Minister, 38-year-old Jacinda Ardern, told the nation "We are one. They are us." That theme has been echoed in the ten days that have followed, by all who have the opportunity to speak publicly -- other politicians, journalists, church and civic leaders. Thousands of people throughout New Zealand have attended prayer vigils and special services, alongside our Muslim brothers and sisters. Human chains have been formed around mosques to symbolize standing together to protect each other. Non-Muslim women, including the Prime Minister, have worn the hijab in solidarity.

            I live in Gisborne, a town where there is no mosque, but there is a small Muslim community of about 30 men, women, and children, amongst the total regional population of about 30,000. On 17 March, Sunday evening, a public service was held for people of all faiths and none, in one of the larger church buildings here. It was packed with hundreds of people, including the Muslim community. Solidarity, unity, standing together, shared grieving was the evident theme there -- and everywhere throughout this country. 

            Six days after the shootings, which were all carried out by one white supremacist acting alone, our gun laws were changed. No-one can now own a semi-automatic military style fire-arm. It is also illegal to post the video taken by the gunman of his actions in the mosques or to share his manifesto. His hatred will not be shared. He wanted people to be turned against Muslims. We are united with them.

            Our Prime Minister suggested that another way to stop him gaining any glory was by refusing to say his name. New Zealanders, including journalists, are following that suggestion. You have named him. I will not. We are focusing on common ground, shared values and the value and dignity of each person -- as well as shared grieving. Our grief of course includes mourning all those who died, but there is also grief that such a senseless, hateful act against innocent men, women and children, just because of their religious beliefs, could happen here. A three-year -old boy and some teenagers were among the dead.

            Yet although the evidence shows that most are united now in valuing each individual and supporting each other, this event has also revealed some ugly facts. There is a small but apparently growing group of white supremacists in New Zealand. Islamophobia is real and we should have tackled this long ago. There has also been hateful treatment of 'the other' for various minorities. The fact that the gunman came from another country, deliberately targeting Muslims here, planning 2 years ago to obtain a gun licence and guns, shows that our border controls and gun laws, and observation of potential terrorists, have not been adequate. 

            Things will be different in the future. "We are one. They are us" has become a significant motto for Aotearoa New Zealand.

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Ardern’s two short sentences – “We are one. They are us” – moved me enough that I wished they could be used more widely than just in Aotearoa New Zealand. I imagined them as a kind of creed, spoken or sung all around the world. 

            But six words didn’t seem enough. So, of course, I elaborated. What started running through my mind was a contrapuntal anthem, two melodies and lyrics playing off each other, but making a single point.

            Unfortunately, perhaps, the only example that came to mind was the Irish Rovers’ version of Years May Come, Years May Go,-- which, umm, kinda lacks the majesty of Beethoven or Handel! Nevertheless, here’s what came out. Perhaps someone with more talent than mine could set it to music? 

We are one;

Every living thing belongs

They are us.

To one holy family;

All are one

Everything that lives and breathes

Here on earth.

Relates to you and me.

We are all

One mother birthed us all

Blood and kin,

Descendants of one cell

Dust of stars -- 

Created by a miracle

No more them.

Evolving through the years. 

Instructions: Repeat endlessly, until the message sinks in.

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Copyright © 2019 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups encouraged; links from other blogs welcomed; all other rights reserved.

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TECHNICAL STUFF

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PROMOTION STUFF…

To use the links in this section, you’ll have to insert the necessary symbols. (This is to circumvent filters that think too many links constitute spam.)

                       Ralph Milton’s latest project is a kind of Festival of Faith, a retelling of key biblical stories by skilled storytellers like Linnea Good and Donald Schmidt, designed to get people talking about their own faith experience. It’s a series of videos available on Youtube. I suggest you start with his introductory section: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u6qRclYAa8

                       Ralph’s “Sing Hallelujah” -- the world’s first video hymnal -- is still available. It consists of 100 popular hymns, both new and old, on five DVDs that can be played using a standard DVD player and TV screen, for use in congregations who lack skilled musicians to play piano or organ. More details at wwwDOTsinghallelujahDOTca

                       Wayne Irwin's “Churchweb Canada,” an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. <http://wwwDOTchurchwebcanadaDOTca>

                       I recommend Isabel Gibson’s thoughtful and well-written blog, wwwDOTtraditionaliconoclastDOTcom

                       Alva Wood’s satiric stories about incompetent bureaucrats and prejudiced attitudes in a small town -- not particularly religious, but fun; alvawoodATgmailDOTcom to get onto her mailing list.

                       Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” -- ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at tomwatsoATgmailDOTcom or twatsonATsentexDOTnet