A pathway forward

Recently, I attended a trial of two young brothers accused of killing a mother of two small children. The trial lasted four days, and the family of the young woman killed heard the detailed description of the killing. The pain of losing their daughter, sister, and mother was engraved on their faces. The young men sat quietly as they were portrayed as heartless killers.  

In his book “Cherished Belonging,” Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, writes, “Surely we can hold something as horrible and not make monsters out of anyone.” He goes on to say that we do not make progress when we demonize.     

As I sat in that courtroom, the pain of what happened filled the room. The tear-soaked faces of both the families were visible. Both families suffered. The devastation was palpable.   

The young men received their sentences: 34 years for the young brother who was not convicted of the shooting and 60 years for the older brother. The courtroom emptied in silence. Both families left to deal on their own with the devastation of losing their loved ones.     

Precious Blood spirituality calls us to stand amid such pain, tension, and conflict and not give in to hurling stones at one another. The power of the spirituality of the Precious Blood is that we can hold that pain without inflicting more pain. When we are willing to hold the pain or the conflict and treat one another with respect — even while we strongly disagree — there is a possibility of positive action. Answers may not come easily, but a pathway forward becomes more visible. It may take longer than we are comfortable with, but if we tend to the relationships and not just hold on to our side of the issue, ways forward become possible. 

Precious Blood spirituality is a spirituality of interconnectedness. When one suffers, we all suffer. It calls us to seek first understanding and relationship and then, and only then, break open the pathway forward.

Fr. David Kelly, C.PP.S. 

Read the full reflection at pbmr.org/a-pathway-forward