Holding Crime in Check

by John D. Clague, Christian Science Committee on Publication for Oregon

It’s never easy to see tragedies that undo lives and families and communities. In my 30 years of law enforcement I encountered  plenty of this sort of thing.  Our hearts go out to the community of Newtown, Connecticut, and to all parents and teachers across the country.  And yet, as we enter the season of good will and peace on earth, we are challenged to find a way to address the unexplainable. Without some view of the nature of life that transcends all the shortcomings of the human experience I’m certain that I would be adrift in despair.

©iStockphoto/adl21

I have found, though, that in holding onto and affirming what, for me, are fundamental truths, I can find peace.

This is what I feel:

I don’t know why this happened in a cosmic sense, and it’s futile to try and figure it out. My heart says that God did not cause this tragedy, nor turn His back on us.

To me, God is the essence of goodness. And God is complete love.   As such, I feel that God loves each one of us as His own creation, including all involved at Sandy Hook School. That love is still with those dear children and staff, embracing them and holding them close. They are with God.  More importantly for those trying to cope with the aftermath, divine Love is closer than ever to comfort and strengthen families and communities.

I believe we must be more persevering in our search for solutions to prevent future violence, whether it involves one person or thousands of people.  For me, it means praying to know that a loving and good God will guide our desires and actions towards finding solutions.

I, and others, might find ourselves letting go of some cherished beliefs and ideologies in this search for solutions, no matter how uncomfortable that makes us initially feel. Motivated by love for our children and our communities, embracing each other with more patience and attentiveness, we must find a way to work together toward that end.

I believe that being willing to pray for real solutions will bring them to us.   We can still feel the “peace that passes all understanding” during this season and beyond by insisting that we will not become cynical and afraid, and knowing that God has not turned away.  And when we do that we will find a way to hold these crimes in check.

First published on OregonLive

John Clague is a retired sheriff’s office captain, father of two grown sons, and husband. He now works with the media to ensure accurate representation of Christian Science.

Violence and health – challenging the status quo

We often talk about health in terms of treating disease or not getting sick. But there are other factors that can negatively affect one’s health that aren’t so obvious, such as violence. This is a major public health issue that is monitored by the Center for Disease Control.

Take for instance young people. The CDC reports that:

“Youth violence results in considerable physical, emotional, social, and economic consequences. Although rates of youth homicide have declined substantially during recent years, much work remains in reducing this public health burden. Homicide is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 10–24 years in the United States.  Violence is also a major cause of nonfatal injuries among youth. In 2009, a total of 650,843 young people aged 10–24 years were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries sustained from assaults.”

Children are not the only vulnerable group, however.  Those in intimate relationships are another group that suffer at the hands of others in significant numbers. The CDC goes on:

“On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States, according to new findings released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the course of a year, that equals more than 12 million women and men. Those numbers only tell part of the story – more than 1 million women are raped in a year, and over 6 million women and men are victims of stalking. These findings emphasize that sexual violence, stalking, and intimate partner violence are major public health problems in the United States.”

At what point does a neighborhood begin to acquiesce to violence? When does apathy, fear, or futility cause us to accept crime as inevitable? On the other hand, what galvanizes individuals, neighbors, or community members to protest against rising violence and decay?

Well-intentioned  efforts such as  installing home security systems and taking personal safety training can make people feel safer.  But what turns the tide for a whole community? It has to come from a mental protest against violence in our midst, followed by effective action. Even before my retirement from a law enforcement career, prayer has been the catalyst that strengthens my resolve to challenge a violent status quo. What could the heartfelt prayers of many accomplish? Prayer provides a resolve that can be a tipping point toward safety and well-being for every member of our community, especially the more vulnerable and least represented.  This can bring measurable improvement to community health. It might include beefing up law enforcement and improving public policy, or providing youth centers and safe, affordable childcare.

As a Captain in the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, I often prayed about my work. One day a wanted suspect, who was known to be violent and have firearms, was located in a house where children were also living. All the ingredients for a bad situation were in place. I needed to be there when he was taken into custody. Complicating the situation, I also needed to be in church in two hours to conduct a church service. Because SWAT events are volatile and unpredictable, I had some heavy-duty praying to do.

While driving to the suspect’s location, I prayed that God’s wisdom and care were present with the Team AND with the suspect. I prayed to know that I was led by God to the position I was in with these tremendous responsibilities, both in law enforcement and church, because Spirit wanted me there, to serve my community in both capacities. I was put there to give. I prayed to be willing to receive divine direction and control, to listen and follow God’s direction guidance even if I was tempted to feel stressed or unable to fulfill my responsibilities.

I did not allow myself to take in anything but God’s calm and loving presence. As we approached the location, we rounded a curve in a rural road. Under standard procedures, we would quickly exit our vehicles, take cover, and assault the building with noise from explosive diversionary devices and shouting. But instead, sitting on the split rail fence enjoying the sunshine, was our suspect. With no resistance, he allowed himself to be taken into custody.

You can imagine my heartfelt gratitude for God’s grace and control. I couldn’t have planned this any better. I feel that God’s timing and wisdom guided us, allowing this to unfold the way it did. And, yes, I was at my post in church that night, continuing to give in God’s appointed way.

So, to renew my question, could many prayers specifically for safety make this kind of outcome more common and even prevent what causes violence?  I believe it is time we address violence in a new, more universal and effective way. And prayer is my starting point.

Doing good for the benefit of who?

By John D. Clague, Christian Science Committee on Publication for Oregon

I’m sure there are many examples of people selflessly helping others. What comes to mind for you? Perhaps someone who is well known, like Mother Teresa.

Or perhaps there is someone you personally know who is a selfless giver, not expecting anything in return.

I think immediately of incidents like:

Hundreds of boat owners and ferry pilots converging on the Manhattan shoreline to evacuate stranded New Yorkers after the World Trade Center towers collapsed.

People in my community working at food banks and soup kitchens for the homeless.

Victor Frankl helping fellow prisoners of war cope through simple acts of sharing and encouragement

These are people engaging in helping acts with no expectation of anything in return.

Where does this desire to help others come from? Not only is history full of people helping people, but the stories of different cultures are full of these examples as a way of conveying a virtue or a moral, like Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. Why do we do it if there’s no expectation of reciprocal acts of kindness or money?

In examining my own impulses along this line I can’t find a clear answer. As a Christian, The Golden Rule could be a motivator out of obedience. And for those of other faith traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and Judaism there are similar guiding principles. But is this really what motivates adherents of any tradition to act for the benefit or others?

Perhaps we do this simply because that’s who we are. It’s part of the very fabric of our being to help others. From my perspective, it’s how God made us. Mankind is basically good at the very core. And perhaps that’s what impels us to help each other.

There’s a twist to this good samaritan attitude, however, that I hadn’t thought of before. It’s good for your health.

Stephen G. Post, PhD. has been researching this notion that helping others is actually beneficial to the helper. In his report It’s Good to be Good: 2011 Fifth Annual Scientific Report on Health, Happiness and Helping Others, Post makes these observations.

“My working hypothesis is that one of the healthiest things a person can do is to step back from self-preoccupation and self-worry, as well as from hostile and bitter emotions; there is no more obvious way of doing this than focusing attention on helping others.

“…we can no longer afford to believe that we will find happiness and health through self-obsession. Selfishness and greed are not a good way to care for the self, while compassion and doing “unto others” seem to be the successful strategy…

“There is solid evidence to support the perennial hypothesis that benevolent emotions, attitudes, and actions centered on the good of others contribute to the giver’s happiness, health, and even longevity. Although genuine benevolence must be chiefly motivated by concern for others, it has the side effect of nourishing the giver.”

He cites a number of case studies showing a link between better health, more happiness and helping others.

Thinking about this a little deeper, what if more of us worked harder to love and help out our fellow women and men? I mean really love them with compassion, forgiveness, and a longing for their well being that impels us to act when they need our help. Not only would we feel better, but we would live in healthier communities.

The implications are profound. I’ve often held to the axiom that I could never be harmed by doing for others. I certainly feel good about helping others. Now, I see it actually helps my health, too. How about you?

Thankfulness – a blessing for everyone

By John D. Clague, Christian Science Committee on Publication

About a year ago, not long before Thanksgiving, I was invited to participate on an Oregon Public Broadcasting live panel discussion focused on the theme “…how people hold on to their faith when it is tested.” It was an interesting discussion with lively audience participation.

“Lively” for sure. More than half the audience, and it was open to the public, was made up of various anti-religion groups self-identified as “humanist” or “rationalist”. More generally we know them as atheist.

At the end of the program I was given the opportunity to make a closing remark. I was praying during that moment to know what would be the most helpful thing to say. Something that would connect with everyone in the room, and yet stay true to my own convictions as a Christian Scientist. In an instant I was inspired to share the idea of gratitude.

Just what is gratitude? We might think of it as being thankful for something we received, a readiness to show appreciation in return of kindness. Perhaps we are thankful for a particular situation that meets our need. 

I often feel gratitude for occurrences that have benefited me. More than that, however, I think of gratitude as an outcome of my relationship with God. It’s a recognition of the totality of all good in my life. This has a profound impact on how I feel and what happens to me. But, regardless of whether or not one  believes in God or worships a higher Being, everyone can feel and express gratitude, including atheists.

Scientists are also finding that gratitude has a positive effect on one’s experience. A year ago Melinda Beck, a columnist who writes for the Wall Street Journal, wrote about research highlighting the outcomes of gratitude such as a greater sense of well-being and better health. I too have these results when gratitude is the greater portion of my attitude and prayers.

I’m glad that a flash of inspiration impelled me to share the  blessing of gratitude with the OPB audience last year. Even those who don’t believe in a higher Being can experience the benefits of being grateful. Beyond a sense of well-being and better health, gratitude opens one’s thought to the wonder of life, the good in humanity, and a sense that we’re part of a larger and grander scheme.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Storytelling and healing

By John D. Clague, Christian Science Committee on Publication for Oregon

I’ve been thinking about how the stories we hear and tell are a powerful way of learning and connecting.  Through our stories we connect with our past, we experience the present, and we anticipate the future.

Many sacred texts such as the Bible are a compilation of stories that were passed on orally from generation to generation.  When the written word, and the ability to read, became more common and widespread, these stories were committed to writing for the benefit of posterity.

As a Christian and a student of the Bible, I find that sincerely studying and pondering these stories enriches my life in many ways.  One of those ways is that my health is restored and maintained through understanding my relationship with God. Today, many are learning how to heal others and themselves through understanding the deeper meaning of these Bible narratives.

But that isn’t the end of the story.  Sharing with others our own healing is just as important as the stories told in the Bible.  Sharing with others continues the collective story of God’s love for His creation, and is a source of new inspiration that can be used in our own lives.

Six contemporary accounts of spiritual healing can be found through the link below.  In these videos, people talk about how Christian Science has restored their health.  Do you have a story of healing to share? Please do for us all.

http://christianscience.com/press-room/healthcare-and-christian-science/lives-lived/