I am not one to venture into
politics in this blog. However, the
political events occurring in these times have been food for much thought over
the past year or so. So without getting
political about Canadian or U.S. governing, I’d like to share some of my own
meanderings that have been spawned during these interesting times.
When I consider political
representatives, it behooves me to look for Leadership that touches the heart
of the people. Naively, perhaps, I
believe that good people have a way of leading us with positive stripes that
will help us uncover the right choices for decision-making. So I always remind myself of checking my
critical and negative thinking and warning myself to “be careful what you wish
for”.
Letting myself engage in
negative, judgmental ideas is destructive to others as well as me. Exercising my right to ‘free speech’ is not,
in and of itself, a justification for this.
Don’t we try, as parents, to teach our children that when you have a
certain right there is a relative measure of responsibility that flows from
that right?
Perhaps some of the most crucial
questions to ask ourselves include what it is that our heart most values in
this life. Has my system of values and
beliefs developed such that I most value the diversity of our nation and
community? Do I value the dignity of
EACH person? Do I desire harmony and
peace among people? Do I want to be
embraced by my community as one who truly belongs? Or has my life experience been such that my system
of values and beliefs desires exclusivity, a winner takes all attitude, fear of
those different from me, and/or severe punishment for those to step on my/our
communal toes? It seems to me that the
only way to answer these (and other) questions is not through debate and
argument, but rather, through honest and open self-examination.
Our society has become very
‘secular and pluralistic’. We express
that there is not room for religion (Church vs State) to drive our social
decisions because of the diversity of our religious beliefs and tenants. Fact is, our value system is shaped by our
hearts desires which have been shaped by our religious traditions. OH MY GOD< what a vicious circle! And yet, we allow ourselves to spew rhetoric
both publicly and privately about retribution of all kinds against others who ‘step out of line’. Yes we allow
ourselves to say we are ‘true believers’ and still embrace capital punishment,
we still push aside and blame victims of violence (refugees, women in domestic
violence, children in mass murders) in order to express our inalienable right
to say what we want whenever we want. We
feel we have the right to make life good for me. We do not share the same passion about our
responsibility to make life good for others.
So when I hear someone else who
spews populist, angry opinions about others (even if it happens to well up a
feeling of resonance for this sentiment), what do I do with those
opinions? Sometimes I jump on the bandwagon
and then fall off flat on my face….because, that negative opinion did not
resonate deeply enough. Instead I try to
think behind those motley, antagonistic views and ask myself what it is that I
truly desire and believe. None of us is
perfect…There is a degree of discrimination, xenophobia, racism and sexism in
all of us. It is what we do with this
and how we manage our place on the social continuum that truly makes us whole.
Of all the tenants held among
world religions, the one we truly hold in common is the Golden rule:
Love
your neighbour as yourself. Do unto
others as you would have them do unto you.
If there was ever a time to bring
the religions of the world together to come to an understanding of all that we
really hold in common, instead of where we differ, it is now. If there was ever a time when our fundamental
belief in the Golden Rule is to be challenged and nurtured and grown, it is
NOW!
Resist, my friends, from entering
the fires of discord. Resist the
judgmental spit of angry, bitter persons who would rather destroy others and
divide people than truly lead. Let’s all
ask ourselves what it is that is really held in our hearts, what it is that we
truly value about life and the future of our world. Otherwise, the warning I must give myself
might apply to all of us. “Be careful
what you wish for”.
A faith-filled white man grew up
and lived in the deep south. He became a
close friend of the great Thomas Merton.
His faith beliefs drew him to ask the question what would it feel like
to be a black person, living in the south during his time (1950’s). John Howard Griffin had his skin pigmented
and he walked the south as a black man.
He then documented his journey in his book, “Black Like Me”. This journal brought a young, teenage jock to tears of profound compassion.
Unwittingly, I had the chance to meet him personally 8 years later. During the wonderful times we were able to
share he made a statement at one of our events.
He said:
“All
that is necessary for the triumph over evil is that good men and women, living
in the Beloved with integrity, do good over and over, again and again,
together.”
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