The Atlantic Ocean off of Cape CodGood Morning, God!
Yesterday we went to the ocean side of Cape Cod — peaceful and quiet — and then this morning we watched on TV the manhunt for the younger of the two Boston Marathon bombers. Such a sad and sobering contrast.
We heard the uncle of the bomber pleading for his nephew to turn himself in and ask for forgiveness. The uncle said that his nephew had brought shame on the family and on all the people of Chechnya. Dear God, please keep us from stigmatizing a whole group of people with the evil done by a few. The people of Chechnya have suffered themselves. All of us have suffered in one way or another.
I think of how a dear Cypriot neighbor in San Diego hated the Turks. And how our daughter Suzanne has a dear friend who is a Turk. Then there were the bombing done by the Irish Republican Army not that long ago — so much hating.
It seems to me, God, that Evil is very like a hermit crab. It scuttles under one shell or another to make its home. The crab merely “borrows” the shell. The shell is just a temporary home. So, then we all ought to be diligent — not letting Evil disguise itself as one of us — as one of Our People or one of Our Faith Traditions. We ought not share our “shells” with Evil.
Like the uncle we must speak out — begging the Small and Stunted and Confused to turn themselves in — to beg for forgiveness.
Hmm. Perhaps we ALL need to beg forgiveness as we have all taken our turn at hating and blaming. A sobering thought, God.
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
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