From time immemorial, humans have had their
totems representing their beliefs — a flag,
a pitcher, a dish, a bowl, a table, a blood

sacrifice — they are as are words — symbols,
similes, metaphors, — something other than
the thing and even though they point to some-

thing other than what they are, they eventually
mean different things to different people because
what they point to is usually, at its best, a

mystery and, at its worst– exclusion, fear, hatred
and violence and so maybe it’s time to make some
symbolic gestures that are pretty clear and

lower the American flags to half-staff and half-
mast to acknowledge our grief and shame for the
exclusion, fear, hate and violence and get down on

both knees at sports’ events as Christians in
the Roman Colosseum and everywhere in the posture
of non-violence, utter humility and submission and

dependence on and affirmation of the mystery of
eternal, creative love and to ask for forgiveness
for using totems for exclusion, fear, hate, violence

and death.