Peace

Another World is Possible

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Even amid feelings of despair, there is always a way toward a new reality where life can triumph and flourish.

I know that I am not alone in finding myself stuck in some confusion and despair over the troubling conflict in the Middle East. These events are a stark reminder of the pain and destruction that violence and injustice can breed. Most of us learn about the harsh realities there primarily through shocking videos and images, leading to feelings of powerlessness and anguish because we are oceans away. Yet it is important to be aware of these realities rather than to avoid them, and to center our compassion and concern on all the people impacted. It would be inhuman of us not to do so.

As a Catholic Christian, I am steeped in a narrative of resurrection and the eternal possibilities of life and light present in the face of darkness. I find hope in knowing that another world is possible other than one filled with violence and destruction. I have learned repeatedly in my life that in moments of despair and helplessness, we can always regain some sense of agency by beginning with the reality immediately before us, with the people around us, and with the vision of life that we believe we must help create, enable, and sustain. The road ahead can be long, hard, and complex. Yet if we are open to it and courageous enough to pursue it, it is always possible to work toward a justice and peace that enables all life to flourish, reflecting the creative dream and intention of our God.

I am certain that we, at DePaul, can create a kind of community that does not replicate the harm of the broader society. Because our walls are porous by design, we cannot help but be influenced in powerful ways by the injustices that surround us in our world. Yet, with careful intention, we also can work toward a different way of being together, one that accepts deep difference and conflict while being open to deeper understanding and change. We can model among us what we hope to create.

Vincent de Paul’s spirituality is what Catholic Christians speak of as “incarnational.” That is, Vincent believed that faith is ultimately made evident in concrete action. He spoke often of virtues, which are essentially the consistent embodiment of our aspirational values and ideals. In fact, this is what Vincent de Paul saw and most revered in the example of Jesus, who incarnated the presence and love of God. Vincent de Paul believed we are called to do the same. Furthermore, Vincent suggested, God supports and accompanies us in the process, helping us toward the realization of an integral human development and flourishing.

Inspired by our Vincentian mission, we always strive toward larger goals, such as the sustainability of our planet, an end to violence, and the alleviation of poverty and injustice. We act for systemic change that can make the flourishing of life possible for all, with particular attention to those who have been marginalized or abandoned. We work to bridge the gap between what is and what we dream of.

The way to that desired end may best be achieved by seeking to create locally the human community that we feel called to bring into being globally. If it is ever to come about, the larger change we seek must be accompanied by change within and among us.

Reflection questions:

What is the human community and the world you believe we are called to help bring into being here at DePaul? How can your actions reflect the end that we seek?

Reflection by: Mark Laboe, Associate VP for Mission and Ministry

Responding to Violence with Peacebuilding

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Neighborhood communities. Elementary schools. Shopping malls. Concert venues. Busy business districts. Nightclubs. University campuses. The evidence has become resoundingly clear that violence affects all and may erupt unexpectedly at any time and in any place. The ripple effect of a shooting, such as that at Michigan State University, or in a Chicago neighborhood community, or anywhere, always ripples outward into the lives of countless others. It can have a lasting impact on generations of people. Grief and trauma rarely stop with the affected persons. As the saying goes, hurt people hurt people, especially if they are not able to find and benefit from a supportive community of care.

College campus violence feels especially close to home for us. This latest incident at Michigan State closer still, perhaps because of its proximity as a neighboring state school. There are many relational ties to people there among those in our expansive university community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The repeated nature of such violence, regardless of setting, elicits among us a broad range of reactions and feelings including grief, anger, anxiety, fear, compassion, and a desire to take action. As a community, we stand in solidarity with and support for all those closely impacted by the tragedy at Michigan State, especially our DePaul colleagues and friends. You are not alone.

Many acts of violence, like this most recent incident, are often pre-meditated and planned. So, then, must be our response—intentional, thoughtful, and persistent.

As we work to “Design DePaul,” what is the call to us both as individuals and a university community? How can we better organize our talent, our energy, and our resources to continue to address the root causes of violence and foster lasting solutions that will help to create a different future? Ultimately, how can we better build a community structured upon peace and non-violence that ensures our safety?

We scream aloud, or silently: Not again!!
Another incident of violence
and unnecessary loss of life.
It has become a slow, steady drumbeat
of hurt and pain
that goes on, and on,
wreaking dis-ease and emotional chaos.
More of our human brothers and sisters are now gone
before their time,
as their loved ones are left grieving and troubled,
and a world, at least for another flashing moment,
left again feeling angry, heart-broken… and helpless.

When will our “not again!!” become more of a firm resolve
and less so merely an impotent scream?
When might it finally take the form of
a lasting commitment that builds, works for, and creates
relationships and communities grounded in a peace
made evident and sustained
in persistent and thoughtful action…
cultivating love,
fostering hope,
teaching paradigm-shifting skills, and
modeling care for one another?

We grieve. We are troubled.
We are angry. We are tired.
We are afraid.
Violence hurts the fabric of our very being.

This is true – yet, so also
is the question it poses to us:
What are we building together?

May tomorrow’s society reveal
what we have done –
more than what we have failed to do.

How will you be a peacebuilder?

Reflection by: Mark Laboe, Assoc VP, Mission and Ministry

A Related Note on Chicago Survivors:

Many in the DePaul community know the story of Chicago Survivors, a Chicago-based non-profit organization offering free, wrap-around support services to surviving family members of Chicago homicide victims. The organization was initiated by the mother of Frankie Valencia, a DePaul student leader who was shot and killed in 2009 and largely incubated through meetings held on DePaul’s campus. Joy McCormack, together with her family, founded the organization after not finding the support they needed to deal with the grief and loss they experienced after Frankie’s murder. Fortunately, but also sadly, the organization continues today to provide services to well over 500 families each year in the Chicago area. Many DePaul faculty and staff have supported and continue to support the organization through their volunteer engagement. DePaul interns have also played an important role in assisting in services that the organization provides to Chicago families. Chicago Survivors works toward a more compassionate and caring future based on the enduring belief that attending to the needs of those affected by violence can stop the cycle of violence.