Tom Cordaro, Be Not Afraid
An Alternative to the War on Terror

Tom Cordaro has written a remarkable book, a book characterized by his basic honesty and the range of topics, fields and events which he covers. I was struck especially by his citations of Sacred Scripture. One saw that this flowed from his attempts at contemplation and his unique way of entering lectio divina. He states:

I will read a psalm and find my heart and spirit drawn to or touched by a word or phrase. Instead of moving on with my reading, I remain in the hold of that word or phrase, repeating it over and over until it moves from my head into my heart. If I can remain focused and eliminate all distractions of the mind and body, I find that soon the word or phrase disappears and only the silent solitude of the moment remains.

I was much impressed by his meeting with a man who was homeless. “My encounter with Francis [the homeless man] changed the trajectory of my life.” One can intuit his personal sanctity from this event. However, he makes no apologies: He describes himself as white, male, middle-aged, middle-class, a member of the First World who wants to be a progressive Catholic committed to embrace the Gospel of nonviolence. Further, he lovingly describes his relationships with his wife and daughter.

I found his range of knowledge and experience to be truly impressive: He describes and analyzes globalization, neoliberalism, the place of the market, and al Qaeda as the globalization of terrorism. He has a section on the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and their work for nonviolence and justice. He mentions people like Jane Addams, Dorothy Day, Mother Jones, A. Philip Randolph and Eugene Debs and shows their contributions to nonviolent action. He does not only cite the names; he also illustrates what and how much they accomplished.

I was particularly impressed by his notion of narrative and how it functions. As he says:

These narratives we construct to tell the stories of our lives (individually and collectively) hold great power. They can ennoble us, giving us courage and strength; they can humble us, giving us perspective and compassion; and they can instruct us, giving us wisdom and understanding. Additionally, the terrifying nature of these terrorist attacks [9-11] makes this process even more important; without a story to help us make sense of these attacks, we would have much more difficulty moving on with our lives.

Fear is the source of why people “have been willing to give up their civil rights and abandon their civic principles for a promise of safety.” And so one arrives at the title of the book: Be Not Afraid.

Lee Hoinacki

Be Not Afraid; An Alternative to the “War on Terror,” Tom Cordaro

Grounded in history and a faith tradition, Be Not Afraid invites us to overcome the narrative of fear in our country promoted by the “War on Terror” and the attacks of Septembr 11, 2001. Instead, we are called to embrace an alternative narrative of hope and freedom This alternative requires that we, as individuals and as community members, act to reclaim the civic and religious principles at the core of our national story, principles that can build genuine peace rooted in justice at home and around the World

Vow of Nonviolence

Recognizing the violence in my own heart, yet trusting in the goodness and mercy of God, I vow for one year to practice the nonviolence of Jesus who taught us in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons and daughters of God. . . . You have learned how it was said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ In this way, you will be daughters and sons of your Creator in heaven.”

Before God the Creator and the Sanctifying Spirit, I vow to carry out in my life the love and the example of Jesus:

► by striving for peace within myself and seeking to be a peacemaker in my daily life;

► by accepting suffering, rather than inflicting it;

► by refusing to retaliate in the face of provocation and violence;

► by persevering in nonviolence of tongue and heart;

► by living conscientiously and simply so that I do not deprive others of the means to live; 

► by actively resisting evil and working nonviolently to abolish war and the causes of war from my own heart and from the face of the earth.

God, I trust in your sustaining love and believe that just as you gave me the grace and desire to offer this, so you will also bestow abundant grace to fulfill it.

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