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November 15, 2009 - The Woman Mauled By The Chimpanzee May Now See More Clearly Than the Rest of Us

by Father Edward L. Beck, C.P.

By now you’ve no doubt heard about the devastating attack of Charla Nash by a chimpanzee. It mauled her face beyond recognition, ripping off her nose, her lips, one thumb and a large part of her scalp. Surgeons had to create a hole in her face so that she could drink meals through a straw. And sadly, her eyes also had to be removed to halt a serious infection. This brave woman recently went on Oprah to tell her story. And that’s where the controversy begins. During the interview Oprah asked the woman to remove the veil she was wearing so that the viewers could see the total extent of the disfiguring injuries. The image was heart-rending and horrific. So disturbing that ABC News and other outlets have decided to no longer show the image of Charla without the veil. Some are now saying that Oprah went too far. Did we really need to see her face unveiled? I’m not sure but I admired the woman’s courage and I hope that some lessons might come from it. It was obvious in the interview that Charla has a spirit that runs deeper than the physical. Externally she will never be the same again. The outside is destroyed, but what struck me was how much the inside still seemed so very vibrant and alive. When Oprah asked if she realized that her mauled face would now be broadcast all over the world, she said, “That’s fine. I’m starting to get stronger and ready for everything.” Charla’s courage gives me pause. I preach that the spiritual is more important than the physical, yet it’s certainly not always easy to live that. When cruel reality is thrust upon us as it has been with Charla, it may be an opportunity to consider who are we when the externals are stripped away? Yes, we worry about our wrinkles, sagging chins and balding pates because of the disproportionate value society places on appearance. And I get it, because I’m part of it. But I’m also part of something deeper, a connection to humanity and to Charla that assures me that we’re all very much the same, regardless of appearance or skin color or socio-economic station. The substance of us goes deeper. Yearning for love, truth, beauty. This is what makes us fully human. Charla may no longer have eyes, but I suspect she now sees more clearly than many of us. I’m grateful to this brave woman for lifting the veil, and I don’t mean the one covering her face.

To watch Father Beck give the above Reflection, click here.