After Last Night’s Bhagavad Gita Discussion

Daniel Berrigan once said to us
About trying to lead a nonviolent life:

“We do it because it’s the right thing to do
Not because it’s going to get us anywhere”

How deeply this cuts us!
Is the Jesuit priest crazy?

Because in these United States of Amnesia
We so want to get somewhere

We want success!
We want to know that we made a difference!

We want others to know we made a difference
(Is anyone keeping track of all our service hours?)

We wouldn’t mind beefing up
Our individual and collective CVs

We want to stop the war!
Bring the troops home now!

(Some in the peace movement
Claim their efficacy

In ending the war in Vietnam
But don’t mention the Vietnamese resistance of thirty years)

We used to crave media attention
Now we get validation via social media

We don’t want to be losers
We want to be a force to be reckoned with

Berrigan (like Gandhi)
In and out of jail

Visiting the poor who have cancer
Befriending the people with AIDS

Comforting the afflicted
Afflicting the comfortable

Renouncing the fruits of action
Giving everything to the work at hand

Berrigan Maryknoll

Daniel Berrigan; Maryknoll, NY; photo by Mev Puleo

1 Comment

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *