Just about a year ago in February of ‘04 I noticed a book review in the Philadelphia Inquirer of a book entitled “The Serenity Prayer: Faith & Politics in Time of Peace & War.” The title Serenity Prayer struck a note. I was familiar with serenity prayer as a member of AA. In the review I discovered that the prayer as I knew it on the AA handy pocket card was different from the one printed here. It further indicated the book was about the author of the prayer, Reinhold Niebuhr. He was a minister and professor at Union Theological Seminary in New York, among other things. I had always thought that the prayer had been written by St. Francis of Assisi. (In reading the book I found the statement: “Catholics everywhere believed the prayer was written by St. Francis” p.302) In fact that thought was confirmed when one day at the Post office I had the book and I put in down on the counter in front of the clerk as I went for my wallet. He said, “Hmm..Serenity prayer?” I said, “Yes, the book is about the man who wrote it” He said “Francis of Assisi?” I told, “no, but that I had thought likewise.”
The name “Reinhold Niebuhr” rang a memory bell. I couldn’t recall immediately where I had heard his name before but in reading the book, I could see many places in the media where I may have seen it. He was an active Christian minister in the social and political problems of his day. He was an outspoken critic in the years before the World War II of the isolationists. He had relatives in Germany whom he denounced for the support of Hitler despite their being Christian ministers. The more I read the more I was certain that his name had come up as a member of Christian organizations fighting Christian leaders supporting isolationism and ignoring other social evils in America. The book was written by his daughter, Elizabeth Sifton who for more than 40 years has been associated with book publishers. The prayer as publicized by AA went like this: “Gods grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.”
The prayer as composed originally had these thoughts: “Gods give me the grace to accept with serenity… and the courage to change the things that should be changed..” The author thought the AA’s rendition watered down the idea of what “should be changed” to “can be” and of course removed the very theological word “grace.” Her whole book was about her father who practiced trying to “change” things he thought “should be” changed. He believed that Christianity was not limited to church going and religious socials nor was it just an entertainment and an emotional exercise. He saw the message of Christ to be one demanding action in the world in any and every way we could to change the lives of those less fortunate and subject to the despotism of political tyrants. He would have made a man like Thomas Paine happy. Paine had rightly complained about the ministers of Christ in his day ignoring the despotic leaders. His only mistake was to attack the Bible (“The Age of Reason”) and not the source of the evil, resulting in not helping to remove those who supported the despots. The author refers to another of Paine’s and the skeptics of today’s favorite quotation: “Unless I see in his hands the print of nails…etc. I will not believe.” She agrees his skepticism in understandable but notes he and others ignore the quote of Christ just eight days later to the disciple, where he says: “Thomas, because you have seen me you have believed: blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.” Thomas believed so well he gave his life for the message. He was certainly influenced by all those around him who had not pierced Christ’s wombs with their hands as he went through life teaching and living his message.
The author refers to her father’s feeling about the way the message is given in his day and now even today, with too much flourish and little real concern about devotion and the social problems of the day. She referred to the practices as, “High decibel religiosity, with its excellent profit margins and growing political clout in the new century is drowning out true religion all over the country and the voices of the genuinely devout cannot be heard.(p.153)” She referred specifically to Robertson and Falwell.
Being reminded of my AA connection had me recall that it was now over 12 years since I quit. I remember in 1992 being in doubt that I really needed AA since I was still running long distance races. The doubt was soon dispensed with and I look back on that decision as one of the many blessings brought into my life by June. Sometime in ‘93 I learned from the running that I had also inherited another “McSorley” trait -a clogged blood vessel. It required a bypass operation in 1994. Around that time there was a great deal of publicity about cholesterol and how to lessen its bad effects. A running friend, a retired cardiologist and writer, George Sheehan, had about that time written an article on the proper ratio to seek of bad vs. good cholesterol. He stated in jest, that one sure way of having the best ratio was to be a marathon-running-alcoholic. Apparently heavy aerobic exercise when combined with booze gives a big increase in HDL (Good cholesterol) but of course your pancreases, liver or brain might object rather quickly and decide to quit working. George was not a frequent marathon runner but at shorter distance was a real champ and winner of many awards for his races. He held the mile record at one time for his age group. He was the Medical Editor of the “Runner’s World Magazine” and wrote a column each month. He wrote so well it made an amateur like myself envious. It wasn’t just medical thoughts. He was quick with quoting and using the ideas of men as diverse as CS Lewis and William James, and as well known as Plato, Thoreau, Emerson, and Nietzsche. He loved running and sold it very well. I did have him speed pass me in the Asbury Park Marathon in the late 70’s. After I finished I went over to congratulate him on his fast finish but he was busy with nausea and vomiting. He said then, he should stick to the shorter distances which when he did he usually placed among the top masters. He had been 1500-meter champ in college, which I believe was NYU. . In 1986 he learned he had inoperable prostate cancer.
I last saw him in ‘92 as a speaker at the Atlantic City marathon. He was selling his latest book, “Personal Best” an anthology of his columns. I had him autograph mine and still read some of essays. He died in November 1993.He used his slow leaving of life as subject for his last book “Going the Distance”. This book was prefaced by Robert Lipsyte, a New York Time sports writer. He said this about George: “George Sheehan was angry with getting cancer, but not surprised. He had never said he would live longer, only better” I couldn’t agree more. I found that the daily exercise and training helped me to live better. There is no better way to lose the tension and sometimes depression of daily living problems than aerobic exercise. I am more limited in my doing so due to age, an aneurysm, and the by-pass, but I still when not wiped out with some other ailment, try to continue doing so. I am happy to hear that many of my children are finding the same by having running in their lives.
February 2005 brought us another example of the circle of life – from joy to sorrow. The joy was in witnessing my son Paul entering the state of matrimony with Janine Doyle. In addition to gaining the love of Janine, Paul got a bonus in the gift of an eight year old beautiful girl named Kristen. The service was held in St. John’s the Evangelist Church in down town Philadelphia. It is a gothic cathedral like structure built in 1830. It has majestic stained glass windows and marble sanctuary, which added an imminent aura of worship to the place. The service was conducted by a cousin/friend of Paul’s Msgr. Robert Carroll. He was assisted by Paul’s brother-in-law, Thomas Baker, husband of Sue McSorley and an ordained Deacon. The service had an added touch in that after Paul and Janine had publicly expressed their vows of love to each other they had a ceremony with daughter Kristen. She had walked down the aisle with her mother in an identical gown and carrying the same flower. She read the scripture reading from the lectern/pulpit in the sanctuary. She read in a clear voice and with perfect enunciation. It was a passage from Jeremiah, a book of the Old Testament. Then as noted when Paul and Janine had completed their exchange of vows they stood with Kristen holding their hands and hers and recited vows to be loving and caring parents for as long as they lived. It was a touching moment and a few tears of joy were shed.
We had wonderful celebration from about four P.M. on in an old mansion in Northeast Philly called “The Glenn Foerd” We danced, we ate, we had a joyous and memorable time. Joy was abounding about that hall as we launched the ship of Paul and Janine into the sea of matrimony. We wished them God’s blessing, guidance and comfort in all that would meet on the way.
The sorrow came as February neared its end. Rita Allen Shapiro succumbed to liver cancer after a long hard fight. She was the “Number 1_ granddaughter of my Mom and Dad. She was the oldest child of Winnie and Paul Allen. She was number one in many other ways in the way she lived. She left with two boys and came to Florida alone. Educated herself and raised those two boys alone. She has left behind a loving husband, two fine boys and two wonderful grandchildren. She will be dearly missed.
Until next time, Pax Tecum_