Pearl Harbor

Since Saturday was the 72^nd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor I was reminded of an experience I had many years ago. I had a friend, long since passed, who was a retired naval officer and a successful businessman. He wanted to talk to one of my sons about attending Annapolis. My friend had political connections and probably could have facilitated an appointment to the academy.

My friend was a good man, a survivor of Pearl Harbor, but he had one flaw. He hated the Japanese and he took every opportunity in business, in public, and in private to say so.

I told him he could not talk to my son, unless he could let go of his hatred, for I didn’t want a seventeen year old influenced by such an old festering hate. I gave my reasons and he did his and we let it go.

When you hate you create a bond as powerful as love. The great teachings suggest that what you hate you attract to you.  To love your enemies, does not mean approving of their actions, in means loving the part of them that is inherently God good and then forgive them. Not forget, but forgive.

My friend thought about our discussion for several months. One week he called to tell me he was going to visit Japan. And he was going to stop at Pearl Harbor. I wished him well and we made plans to meet when he returned.

The conversation never did happen with my son, but it didn’t matter there was something far more powerful in the result.