While I was in high school, a period when the Cold War was raging, I read a book entitled Earth Abides, by George Stewart, which was an account of life in America following a plague which wipes out all but a few survivors. I associated the plague with a nuclear holocaust, a risk we often discussed in history classes. The lesson of the book for me was that although civilization as we know it may be destroyed, Earth abides, or awaits a new beginning of civilization or even of life forms.
     More recently, I have been reading books on Afghanistan which again emphasize to me the fragility of life and the short-sighted corruptibility of mankind. The Hosseini books (The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Sons) portray a variety of characters at the mercy of authority figures that may be kind or cruel. Lucky is the small child raised by a loving parent. Woe to that young child when he or she falls victim to a sadistic authority figure. Lucky is the young person who first discovers a loving partner and woe to the partner that finds herself simply a slave to be willfully abused. The Bookseller of Kabul portrays a family patriarch who in public appears to be an enlightened individual, but in his private life acts like the cruelest tyrant. The lesson of these books to me is: "Try not to live in a place where one person can have absolute authority over you." Humankind is a mixture of good and bad people and you do not want to have to risk being subject to a bad one.
     In What is the What, the main character Valentino is a small child who flees with a band of other small boys to Ethiopia when his Dinka village in southern Sudan is attacked by northern Arabs. During their long march, they are helped by many decent people. In his 15 years of flight and refugee camp living, Valentino witnesses human slaughter, famine, class struggles even in a refugee camp, and yet is able to stay on an even keel. He is sent to America and begins a quest for education and a better life. Do not expect things to become easy for Valentino. The title of the book is taken from a Dinka creation story. God gives the Dinka people the cow as a creation gift and then asks them if they want to exchange the cow for something else? The Dinka people decide to keep the cow (it supplies all their needs) but they want to know what the other gift (called the What) would have been? God refuses to tell and gives the What to the Arabs instead. Valentino tries to figure out what the What is. Is it the AK47s with which his people are shot? Probably it is whatever makes one people think they are different from others: geographical location, skin color, money, intelligence, religion, etc.
     Finally, I have been reading Russian history recently. I was surprised to learn a year ago that the word "slave" is derived from the word Slav, because the Slavs (i.e. Serfs) were the major source of European slaves until Africa became a huge market. Reading the history of the czars, I was amazed at their autocratic ruthlessness and how they treated millions of Serfs like animals. Peter the Great's attempts to Europeanize Russia were accomplished by a five-fold raising of taxes on the Serfs. Catherine Great who prided herself on being a member of the "Enlightenment" was no different in her treatment of the Serfs.
     It is possible in reading history to see an unending string of ghastly periods of human suffering. We may not understand What is the What. However, when we see the beauty of the earth, then we are reminded of our faith that God is good. A single wildflower growing on a volcanic flow is a reminder that the natural devastation of a volcano will eventually result in extremely fertile soil. A single sunrise is a promise that beauty is possible and attainable. A rainbow is a promise there will be no more floods.

Dear God,
I thank you for being born in a time, in a place and in a family where I am surrounded by love and opportunity. Help me protect and extend those options for the future for others. What is the What? If it is whatever makes me fail to see my similarities to others, then help me to neutralize its negative effects. Amen

Contributed by Susan
Sunday March 30, 2008
Liturgical Year A Week 18
Sunday Gospel reading:
Fifth Sunday in Lent