Terrible Memory
During these early August
days, we mark the 71st anniversary of the first and only use of
nuclear weapons for warfare. The two
bombings -- Hiroshima (Aug, 6th) and Nagasaki (Aug. 9th) -- killed
at least 129,000 people in 1945. I
learned only recently that Nagasaki was home to the largest Catholic population
in Japan; St. Mary's Urakami Cathedral was used by the bombing crew as its
target. How is it that national identity
can “over-rule” our shared identity as followers of Jesus? Too often, we make national differences more
important than being children of the same God and members of the same human
family. How can we nurture a world view
that treasures what we have in common as human beings and that celebrates our
rich diversity? Did you watch any of the
opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio? The gathering in one place
of nearly 11,200 athletes from 206 countries gave me some hope for our world. How will we help shape a world for future
generations in which weapons of mass destruction are only a terrible memory?
Toni Harris, OP
Madison, WI
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