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Here is how I see it. We are blessed with the good fortune to experience
friendship and love, food that can make us purr like cats in the sun,
children who tug at our heartstrings, music that make us dance, work (if
we're lucky) that leaves us feeling satisfied at the end of the day. Our
lives are made rich by the small things, the Mary-Cassatt-painting
moments that we move through at the best of times. This is what it means
to be human-- to take in these experiences, to save them, to use them to
sustain us during more difficult times. Almost more than the heart can
contain, we hold these jewels near to help us through times too sad for
the human heart to bear.
This is one of those times: the vicious acts of a few savages have brought more death and heartbreak into the world. But we have, as humans, such a rich reservoir to draw strength from-- the pleasure of community, the love of friends, the rich rhythms of everyday life. We are too good, too fine as a species, to be damaged by savage acts. There has never been anything like us in the world before. In only three thousand generations we have discovered the rule of law, the importance of human rights, and the ability of technology to reshape our world into a global community. We are, by far, the best of God's creatures, and we are only beginning to understand our responsibilities as such. Our future is bright, laced with obligations and opportunities. We are so close to the point at which it will all be set right! It is reasonable to think that, in a few more generations, the world will have settled into a close approximation to a just, decent, society. We are almost there. History makes it so clear that, ultimately, the good guys always win. In spite of setbacks, the world gets better. I am firmly convinced that only just, decent societies can be stable in the long term: injustice is a temporary state. The murderous barberism of recent days is an anomaly and will not endure; we must not lose heart in times of distress. We are better than the cowardly killers, and we will prevail because of our goodness.
George Gollin
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