Two Men

Last week two men from two different generations passed away within two days of each other.  Each man lived his life in his own way, and yet each is known for one remarkable, but significantly different contribution to humanity of the nation.  The first, Steven McDonald, passed away at the age of 59 from a heart attack on January 10. The second, William Peter Blatty, passed away due to blood cancer at the age of 89 on January 12.  Each would receive some notoriety in the press.

Steven McDonald (center) with his wife and son

 Steven McDonald was a New York City police officer, and on July 12, 1986 he inquired of a group of young teenage males about bicycle thefts occuring in Central Park.  As he was questioning one of the teenagers he noticed a sock being held by the young man.  As he inquired about the contents of the sock he was shot three times at close range. All to the face/neck.  One shot was above an eyebrow, a second in the throat, and a third would shatter his spine leaving hiim paralyzed from the neck down.  Married for just under a year, his wife was pregnant with what would be their only child, a son who is a sergeant in the NYPD.  About six months later, according to news reports, "with McDonald still struggling to recover, he made a statement about Jones [the shooter] through his wife that defined the rest of his life: 'I forgive him and hope he can find peace and purpose in his life.'" A powerful statement of mercy which would be his moment of definition.  It was a moment of grace when he realized that hate could just as easily overpower him, and lead him on a path of self-destruction.  It was also a sign of the power of his faith.  Before his statement, McDonald had even pondered suicice wishing not to be a burden to his young wife.  Yet, because he lived and made that one powerful statement, his life provided a direction to others who face similar trials.  Suicide would have been an easy way out for a man bound to a chair and needed others to help care for basic human needs.  Those who spoke at his funeral at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral, was summarized by one news source as him being a man who chose a spiritual journey over self pity and spite.  

William Peter Blatty

Spite, is certainly one element evident in the book and movie for which William Peter Blatty is famous.  The Exorcist, is about satanic possession, and it is spite to God which comes through the demonic possession of the young girl.  Blatty wrote his book, not as a work of horror, but what he saw as a work of the supernatural.  Blatty, who was a son of immigrant parents, said that the book was written to recognize the works of the Jesuits who taught him in prep school and at Georgetown University. As he told Jesuit William J. O'Malley, it was a thank you to the Jesuits.   The book was on its way back to the publisher due to lack of sales when Blatty arrived as a fill-in for a cancelation on the Dick Cavette show.  His appearance on that show would take the book to the best seller list, and he would write the screen play for the movie.

The long blue line at Steven McDonald's funeral

What is interesting is the varied interpretataions of the movie.  O'Malley, who had once taught at the same prep school, Brookly Prep, as Blatty had attended would write and provide a review of the book at a library event in Rochester, NY.  Having Brooklyn Prep as a connection O'Malley would write to Blatty.  Blatty would ask to meet him in New York.  That would lead to a life long friendship,and for O'Malley a cameo appearance in the movie.  During that lunch meeting, Blatty would take issue with two points in O'Malley's review.  The main point being that, as O'Malley puts it in Americamagazine.org:

that I had missed the whole point of the book (admittedly a flaw). He said his intention was right there toward the end when, after the first excruciating exorcism session, the mother asks the doubtful young priest why God would allow such an assault on a young child. The priest answers, 'To make us despair. To make us feel we would be beyond even God’s contempt, much less his love.' In other words, God makes us feel lost in order to show us our need to be found. That was the core of Bill Blatty. He never lost that conviction of divine love.

While I am not sure I fully agree with the that despair is put forth to make us feel the need to be found, it gets back to the age old question of why does God allow evil.  It may be more that God allows free will, and with free will comes consequences-- a learning experience if you will.  However, as attested by some of the great saints, even the best acknowledge a "dark night of the soul."  The deeper ones faith, it sometimes seems, so there is more turbulance in faith.  There is also the more questioning.  St John of the Cross experienced and so did Mother Teresa.  But, the dark night, gives way to light.  The light being the mercy and grace of God. Last November, Pope Francis made the following statement that explains the "dark night of the soul":  "We do not need to be afraid of questions and doubts because they are the beginning of a path of knowledge and going deepr; one who does not ask questions cannot progress either in knowledge or in faith."need to be afraid of questions and doubts because they are 

The Movie poster

This, darkness is the connection between the two men.  McDonald felt lost, so lost that he had contemplated suicide.  Such an action would have been devasting to his wife, and he would never have known his son, nor his son know him.  No doubt that McDonald experienced, and lived through one of the most excruciating experiences a human can encounter--shot in the face, not once but three times and left to die on the streets of New York. His whole way of life would be affected. Hhis life would take a fully unexpected turn.  However, his the mercy of his forgiveness would allow him to not succumb to darkness.  The mercy and grace of God was at work in Steven McDonald. He went through a terrible crisis, and encountered evil face-to-face, but he realized a way forward.  He would not let evil fill him with hate, so instead he went the route of forgiveness, and in so doing found something much better.