Today is
Dan Berrigan’s 93rd birthday. He is a magnificent human being in
every respect
and, for many, a model of engaged faith. A Jesuit, a poet, an activist, he represented for many the opposition to US wars and violence.
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| A photo taken later in his life -- he was arrested many times. |
During the 1970s I lived in a poor
neighbourhood in Toronto where we tried to live out that kind of faith both by
encouraging a living community on a very local level as well as engagement in
larger social issues. At one point I decided to visit some of these kinds of
communities in the United States. There were two groups in the Washington area
that drew my attention in particular: the Community for Non-Violent Resistance
(CNVR) and Jonas House in Baltimore where Phil Berrigan lived with his wife.
The CNVR ran an impressive soup kitchen just blocks from the white house.
At
one point I was informed that there would be a demonstration demanding amnesty
for defectors from the army during the war in Vietnam. That war had just ended
and there were a very large number of such war resisters who had found refuge
in Canada. It was not hard to want to be at the event. When I arrived at the
sight it was explained that some people would be lining up for the White House
tour in order to get inside the gate. They would then sit down on the grass.
Those who did not want to be arrested were advised to say outside the gate in
support of those who went in. Naturally, and impulsively, I decided to join
those going inside. (I am extraordinarily impulsive, even today. It is one
aspect of my personality I have not learned to deal with. In a crisis, I act on
impulse and sometimes that gets me in trouble.)
Anyway, I joined the line, went inside, sat down with the 50 or so
others and waited for the police to arrive. They were very polite; dragged us
away to vans and took us to a jail somewhere. We were photographed,
fingerprinted, and charged with trespassing. Then we were put in cells to await
processing. I found myself in a cell with two other persons: non less than
Daniel Berrigan (my hero!!!) and Dick Gregory (my other hero!!!). We had a
great afternoon talking together about faith and commitment and the connection
between the two. After a few hours we were set free after signing a promise to
appear in court at some specific point. I went back to Jonah House and to Dan’s
brother, Phil.
Again, I repeat, I am impulsive. I found the whole arrest
business a complete farce. So, impulsively, I wrote a letter to the judge and entrusted
it to one of the other people at the house who would be in court in a day or
so. I told the judge I had come to Washington to see the President on behalf of
the draft dodgers and deserters and that I was outraged that I should be
arrested for wanting to speak with him. I told him I had better things to do
than to go to court. Then I got on a bus and went back to Toronto.
I did get
some feedback later. The letter was presented to the judge and read in court. The
judge was, quite naturally, infuriated and, apparently, threatened to extradite
me. I can see the headline: Roman Catholic priest extradited to the US for
sitting on the grass. Anyway, it must
surely have created a situation that was not favourable to the rest of the
group and I heartily regret it now.
When I
think of it now, I realize how childish my reaction was, how it put other
people at risk and how it could have created a very serious situation for
myself had I been stopped along the way back to Toronto.
But, what I
remember most of all is the time with Dan and Dick and how I found myself with
giants who were very simple, caring people. That’s how it often is the real
heros.
May Dan (and Dick Gregory as well)
continue to probe the mysteries of life, including his own, and to be an
inspiration to others to put their faith to work in our broken world.
