Of Gods and Men, and Islam

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Below is the text of a letter written by a Catholic monk in Algeria during the civil war there. He, and the other monks at his monastery, could have left but chose to stay and continue serving the Algerian people - who could not leave. Seven of the monks, including him, were eventually kidnapped and murdered. (The movie based on those events, 'Of Gods and Men', won 2nd place last year at Cannes; absolutely, rent it when it comes out - superb film!)

In the midst of the extremism they were daily under the threat of, and that's not far off our radar either, his letter presents a very different view; just thought I'd toss it out for consideration/discussion.

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“If the day comes, and it could be today, that I am a victim of the terrorism that seems to be engulfing all foreigners living in Algeria, I would like my community, my Church, and my family to remember that I have dedicated my life to God and Algeria.

"That they accept that the Lord of all life was not a stranger to this savage kind of departure; that they pray for me, wondering how I found myself worthy of such a sacrifice; that they link in their memory this death of mine with all the other deaths equally violent but forgotten in their anonymity. My life is not worth more than any other—not less, not more. Nor am I an innocent child. I have lived long enough to know that I, too, am an accomplice of the evil that seems to prevail in the world around, even that which might lash out blindly at me. If the moment comes, I would hope to have the presence of mind, and the time, to ask for God’s pardon and for that of my fellowman, and, at the same time, to pardon in all sincerity he who would attack me.

"I would not welcome such a death. It is important for me to say this. I do not see how I could rejoice when this people whom I love will be accused, indiscriminately, of my death. The price is too high, this so-called grace of the martyr, if I owe it to an Algerian who kills me in the name of what he thinks is Islam.

"I know the contempt that some people have for Algerians as a whole. I also know the caricatures of Islam that a certain (Islamist) ideology promotes. It is too easy for such people to dismiss, in good conscience, this religion as something hateful by associating it with violent extremists. For me, Algeria and Islam are quite different from the commonly held opinion. They are body and soul. I have said enough, I believe, about all the good things I have received here, finding so often the meaning of the Gospels, running like some gold thread through my life, and which began first at my mother’s knee, my very first church, here in Algeria, where I learned respect for the Muslims.

"Obviously, my death will justify the opinion of all those who dismissed me as naïve or idealistic: “Let him tell us what he thinks now.” But such people should know my death will satisfy my most burning curiosity. At last, I will be able—if God pleases—to see the children of Islam as He sees them, illuminated in the glory of Christ, sharing in the gift of God’s Passion and of the Spirit, whose secret joy will always be to bring forth our common humanity amidst our differences.

"I give thanks to God for this life, completely mine yet completely theirs, too, to God, who wanted it for joy against, and in spite of, all odds. In this Thank You—which says everything about my life—I include you, my friends past and present, and those friends who will be here at the side of my mother and father, of my sisters and brothers—thank you a thousandfold.

"And to you, too, my friend of the last moment, who will not know what you are doing. Yes, for you, too, I wish this thank-you, this “A-Dieu,” whose image is in you also, that we may meet in heaven, like happy thieves, if it pleases God, our common Father. Amen! Insha Allah!"

(Written in Algiers by Dom Christian of Abbaye Notre-Dame de l'Atlas, December 1, 1993; two years prior to his murder)

Last edited by Natty_Boh on 19 May 2011, 2:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

thank you for bringing this up,
i have to see that movie!

Trappists.

Will have to locate this.

Add this on to the Charles de Foucauld. Different take.;

I might get film if I can find it on DVD.

Philologos sir, about Trappists have you tried Trappist beer? It's wonderful stuff

With all due respect to you and of course Natty Boh, I have never been able to handle beer. A good dry white wine is where except under exceptional circumstances I begin and end. Exceptional circumstances being where refusing coffee or incredibly tasty jet fuel offered you by your host equates to declaring a blood feud and you do NOT have a chance to offer it unobtrusively to a potted plant, which I have done.

Mi esposa is red wine, Corona or Bass Pale Ale, and the odd Single Malt Scotch, while Number 1 son has a wider repertoire.

A quick check suggests the substance is not obtainable in my vicinity. Except for occasional special events.

I love my whisky as well, my Irish ancestors use to work in the distilleries plus a few other of ancestors use to be in the alcohol trade, in cooperage and running public houses.

What a fantastic movie.

My great-grandfather was a moonshiner. Does that count?

I love me some Jack Daniel's Old #7, and I also keep a bottle of Glenlivet around for when I don't feel like getting hit by a freight train. I really enjoy Turning Leaf cabernet as far as red wines go--definitely my fav. My wife and I both enjoy Beringer's white zin. For casual drinking, I like Budweiser and Bud Light (not really a light beer drinker), Dos Equis at my fav Mexican joint when they don't have Bud on tap, Woodchuck (my wife could drink this by the gallon if you let her), and my #1 fav when I can get it is Andre Cold Duck. I don't really do the hard stuff that much. But aside from Jack and Glenlivet, I like Vox vodka, and I prefer Sauza white tequila to Cuervo.

That settles it. The post-Rapture party's at AngelRho's. I'll bring along some Hefeweizen, maybe a good pinot noir; definitely a case of Augustinerbrau if I can track any down. And the rest of my Chartreuse.

As to the movie, it's due to come out as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo, on July 5 - it keeps a more narrow focus on the monastery; the book it's based off of (and very faithful to) delves into the historical and political situation also, and spends more time on Brother Christian's writings and thought. Both very well worth it.

The monks never made a single convert, that the book's author was aware of. But the Church in Algeria, and back home in France, considered their presence in Algeria absolutely essential; and the villagers themselves stated they would not have any foundation as a community without the monastery there. That's fascinating just in itself - and very much counter to the idea that "the whole purpose of a Christian is to make other Christians."

We shall make a date to acquire / see it. Very reminiscent of mon ami Charles de Foucauld - beatus now but nor as yet sanctus, je crois?

Being very ennea-4 [a big part of my attraction to him, besides the fact his linguistic work just knocks me over] he constantly and painfully was aware of few if any conversions, no way to start up his dream order - and totally unaware of the impact of his mere presence in the Sahara.

I wondered if it was a movie about him, at first, just going by the vague sketch I was hearing. And I still have not read that book I have on him, darn it!

Read it. Read it now!

If you are raptured [I understand there is a quota for Catholics] without having read it you will regret it for all eternity.

It dones lol

*raises a glass of Chimay to give a toast to the Trappists*
Blessed be the holy brewmasters of heavenly ale, May God Bless you & smile upon you.

Spent Rapture Day out of town with friends and had a mini post-apocalypse party with family and wife's best girl friend. Just had a Bud Light--not feeling very well lately. Had a good time! How's everyone else here doing? Is a head-count in order?

At precisely noon the clocks stopped and we had to reset them.

All my protoplasm has been replaced with deuteroplasm and the water seems to have been replaced with a compound of Oxygen and hhydrogen.

I figure the world was shut down, restructured and started again.