I remember in the months following the terrorist attacks on 9/11,  Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) was asked,  “How do we maintain this space of compassion, in the wake of so much global hatred?”

The question was asked by a young woman in the audience, a woman who had just lost her husband in this unprecedented aggression. He thought for just a moment before offering his reply,

“We can begin right now by calming our anger.”

His response was further elaborated in an article to Beliefnet,

“We can begin right now to practice calming our anger, looking deeply at the roots of the hatred and violence in our society and in our world, and listening with compassion in order to hear and understand what we have not yet had the capacity to hear and to understand. When the drop of compassion begins to form in our hearts and minds, we begin to develop concrete responses to our situation. When we have listened and looked deeply, we may begin to develop the energy of brotherhood and sisterhood between all nations, which is the deepest spiritual heritage of all religious and cultural traditions. In this way the peace and understanding within the whole world is increased day by day.”

His words came to mind as I was watching the new yesterday morning – the story of a young man halfway ’round this world, beheaded in the name of ‘justice.’

As I stared at the screen, I couldn’t help but to think of this young man’s family – what horror they must be experiencing. We see these images, and we want immediately to react – to correct a grievous wrong, to make ‘right.’

But, what is ‘right’ in this weary world? Isn’t all violence the source of injustice?

He paused for just a moment, before continuing:

“They feel justified in destroying their enemies in the name of God. People who engage in this violence may die with the conviction that they are dying for a righteous cause. And isn’t our country acting out of the same conviction when we kill those we define as threats? Each side believes that it alone embodies goodness, while the other side embodies evil.”

My darlings, these are the moments in which are faith is most tested. And these, are the moments in which our resilience is born. That we might offer this space of a compassion – a single drop with the capacity to fill up this world.

“What would it take,” he asked, “for us to be able to reach out to those who have terrorized us and say: “You must have suffered deeply. You must have a lot of hatred and anger toward us to have done such a thing to us. You have tried to destroy us and you’ve caused us so much suffering. What kind of thinking has led you to take such an action?”

You see, it’s only when we’ve listened with all of our heart, that we may finally create the space for all to live.