by Jenna Legg
There's a phrase in Precious Blood spirituality about the "cry of the blood". It's taken from Genesis when God hears Abel's blood cry out from the ground after he had been murdered. Now it refers to the anguish of our earth, the pain of our brothers & sisters, and the deep sigh of God as he witnesses all of it -- the violence that cries out. For me, the cry of the blood has been deafening lately.
The images emerging from Syria and Turkey seem to scream from the browser screen. As the numbers of dead continue to rise, I cannot fathom the grief those around must be feeling. The massive devastation is a reminder that this disaster will be felt for generations to come.
I awoke this morning to news of another school shooting, this time at a college in Michigan. Not only was there loss of life, but loss of security, loss of trust and loss of futures. As if this wasn't enough, the fact that it was barely noticeable in the news headlines is another reminder that this has become normal in our society.
I work in a high school now, teaching religion. These last few weeks have been particularly rough with students fighting, area suicides, and learning of the difficult circumstances many of our students deal with on a regular basis.
These are the cries of our brothers and sisters and the cries of God. As members of the Precious Blood family, we are called to respond to the cries. But how?
When my toddler cries, when I'm able, I offer him a solution or a help. But sometimes, I'm reminded that he doesn't seek answers, but someone to sit with him in his feelings. In the same way, we can respond to these crises. When we are able, we can help with monetary donations, or direct support and donations. Other times, we may be called to sit with others as they experience unfathomable emotions. And even when we cannot directly sit with those affected, we can sit with the emotions it brings up in us and bring those to God in prayer.
As we continue to respond to the cries of the blood, we will be able to anticipate them and even work to prevent them from happening, whether it be working for gun reform, challenging law makers to look into climate change, or showing people love & providing for their needs. But an important first step to listen. Listen to the cries.