Comments on: James Loney comes home - A different kind of Abyss http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2006/03/26/james-loney-a-different-kind-of-abyss/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:04:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Charlie Jackson http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2006/03/26/james-loney-a-different-kind-of-abyss/#comment-13573 Charlie Jackson Sat, 01 Apr 2006 21:45:12 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=2329#comment-13573 Jim is a friend of mine. We met during my first trip to Iraq in Dec 2000-Jan 2003. We were in the same automobile coming back from Basra when it overturned, killing another of our group - George Weber. Jim was responsible for helping lift me up into the back of another vehicle so they could rush me to the hospital (I suffered two broken vertebrae) while he remained with George's body and would eventually accompany it back to Canada. Here are just a few word that Jim wrote just before he was kidnapped last November: (from in Defence of the Sacred Heart) ..."And, reaching across Jesus' waist, a partly-finished arm, the flesh at its shoulder seemingly stripped down to bone. I imagined a starving prisoner kneeling in front of Jesus, face pressed tight to his chest and holding on for dear life. Tears filled my eyes. Even here, in this godforsaken place, and everywhere, in every dungeon of despair, the Sacred Heart beats. There was no suffering in which the Sacred Heart did not dwell. I knelt down too. I fell in love with the Sacred Heart that day. I see it now as a profound meditation on human freedom, on the disarming power of the disarmed life. When we know who we are, a no-matter-what loved child of God, then we cannot but love in that same no-matter-what way, without condition or limit or fear. When we lay down our weapons (whatever they be-the desire to punish or an inter-continental nuclear missile) and open wide our hearts, we become truly free, a Sacred Heart ready to embrace anyone, do anything, go anywhere. Perhaps old Leo XIII was on to something after all when he "solemnly consecrated" all humankind to the Sacred Heart on June 11, 1899. He called it "the great act" of his pontificate. Perhaps history would be a little different if we all took the Sacred Heart to heart." Peace and welcome Jim home. Jim is a friend of mine. We met during my first trip to Iraq in Dec 2000-Jan 2003. We were in the same automobile coming back from Basra when it overturned, killing another of our group - George Weber. Jim was responsible for helping lift me up into the back of another vehicle so they could rush me to the hospital (I suffered two broken vertebrae) while he remained with George’s body and would eventually accompany it back to Canada.

Here are just a few word that Jim wrote just before he was kidnapped last November:

(from in Defence of the Sacred Heart)

…”And, reaching across Jesus’ waist, a partly-finished arm, the flesh at its shoulder seemingly stripped down to bone. I imagined a starving prisoner kneeling in front of Jesus, face pressed tight to his chest and holding on for dear life. Tears filled my eyes. Even here, in this godforsaken place, and everywhere, in every dungeon of despair, the Sacred Heart beats. There was no suffering in which the Sacred Heart did not dwell. I knelt down too.

I fell in love with the Sacred Heart that day. I see it now as a profound meditation on human freedom, on the disarming power of the disarmed life. When we know who we are, a no-matter-what loved child of God, then we cannot but love in that same no-matter-what way, without condition or limit or fear. When we lay down our weapons (whatever they be-the desire to punish or an inter-continental nuclear missile) and open wide our hearts, we become truly free, a Sacred Heart ready to embrace anyone, do anything, go anywhere.

Perhaps old Leo XIII was on to something after all when he “solemnly consecrated” all humankind to the Sacred Heart on June 11, 1899. He called it “the great act” of his pontificate. Perhaps history would be a little different if we all took the Sacred Heart to heart.”

Peace and welcome Jim home.

]]> By: Ogilvie Hall http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2006/03/26/james-loney-a-different-kind-of-abyss/#comment-12752 Ogilvie Hall Mon, 27 Mar 2006 19:28:49 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=2329#comment-12752 Jim Loney must be just reeling with the events of the past few months, but there are already critics gunning for him over his statement, saying he deliberately didn't mention the U.S. contribution to his rescue because of the Peacemakers' general disdain for anything American. My guess is that Loney doesn't yet know about the U.S. involvement, any more than he is aware that there was covert assistance given by the Canadian military and RCMP personnel on the ground. Jim Loney must be just reeling with the events of the past few months, but there are already critics gunning for him over his statement, saying he deliberately didn’t mention the U.S. contribution to his rescue because of the Peacemakers’ general disdain for anything American. My guess is that Loney doesn’t yet know about the U.S. involvement, any more than he is aware that there was covert assistance given by the Canadian military and RCMP personnel on the ground.

]]> By: Reverend http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2006/03/26/james-loney-a-different-kind-of-abyss/#comment-12457 Reverend Sun, 26 Mar 2006 22:39:53 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=2329#comment-12457 What a wonderful story and truly a blessing for James Loney to make it home to his friends and family. And god bless the soldiers who risked their lives to save James. This is a terrific example of keeping faith in God to deliver his blessings. I also read the blog at on line blessings for truly inspirational stories of blessings that happen around the world everyday. James Loney is a truly an example of a blessing from the hand of God to the British soldiers who executed the plan to bring him to freedom. I wish Mr. Loney the best and hope he keeps the faith in God despite having to crawl out of such an awful abyss. What a wonderful story and truly a blessing for James Loney to make it home to his friends and family. And god bless the soldiers who risked their lives to save James. This is a terrific example of keeping faith in God to deliver his blessings. I also read the blog at on line blessings for truly inspirational stories of blessings that happen around the world everyday. James Loney is a truly an example of a blessing from the hand of God to the British soldiers who executed the plan to bring him to freedom. I wish Mr. Loney the best and hope he keeps the faith in God despite having to crawl out of such an awful abyss.

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