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The invitation came from CNN, with the advisory to keep it quiet. For the 2018 broadcast of CNN Heroes, I was asked to attend and be acknowledged as such. I respectfully argued and disagreed with them. I was no hero. I was a mere man who managed to survive a mass shooting. I did not seek the public spotlight despite it giving me a sunburn. 10.27 was not about me, and never would be. Ultimately I acquiesced and appeared live on their broadcast. As part of the time in NYC, I was scheduled to appear for the taping of the New Day Christmas show. The show was recorded in advance, to maximize the number of employees who could be home with their families on Christmas Day, which was thoughtful. Among the other invitees was Pastor Eric Manning of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. We had only met for the first time when he flew into Pittsburgh and we spent several hours over coffee at his hotel on Friday, November 2, 2018. It was that moment that in some regard marked the rest of my life.

There were two segments that we recorded that day, but what became most memorable for me was the time in between the segments. I do not recall the nature of the conversation, but Pastor Manning’s comments have resonated with me ever since. To paraphrase as best as I can recall, he was commenting on the seasonal phrase “Peace on Earth, good will towards men”. The initial part of the conversation was about the need to rephrase this to be welcoming to everyone, something like “Peace on Earth, good will towards all.” No one disagreed that despite the beauty of the sentiment, the language needed updating. But what came next has remained with me since.

Pastor Manning remarked that we pull out this phrase during a limited period, toss it about, and then put it away with the decorations. Why can’t it be reflective of an attitude that is a constant in our lives, and not just during Christmas. It was a veritable “wow” moment for me. Not merely because he was right, but because I have observed over the decades a change of behavior in people that only lasts perhaps a day or two past new year’s day. Then we return to our normal selves. Why can’t this mantra be our normal selves? It should and must be, is what the Pastor was suggesting. And frankly, he is right. For all those of the Christian faith, I would think that being a good Christian and doing the Christian thing means to embrace values such as “Peace on Earth” and making them a daily call to action. Why should this behavior only be present for a limited period of time?

I thought of the Golden Rule, promulgated by Rabbi Hillel in the first Century, although there are other extant versions ascribed to various authors: What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire law, all the rest is commentary. This seems on the surface a rather easy rule to keep, yet reality tells us that is not the case. Its source might very well be Leviticus 19:18 : You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Perhaps Rabbi Hillel had it right in that by distilling the Torah down to one verse, we can remember it, focus on it, and then explore all of its ramifications throughout our lives. There is a sort of hidden complexity in the simplicity.

At times of great stress and strain, it might become even more difficult to adhere to basic tenets. On the contrary, that is exactly the moment to do so. “Love your neighbor as yourself” seems really hard to accomplish right now, but as we learn from Pirkei Avot, we are not absolved from trying. Through this love, we must encourage “Peace on Earth, good will to all” to also become a daily goal, and not a seasonal goal. Maybe The Beatles were less naïve than we thought. All you need is love. Love is all you need.