what is the gentlest way to disarm an attacker ?
the prescription in the old testament for worshipping a golden calf was to "slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour." – surely we can do better, these days, than such a ridiculous crime.
Do you believe that people can heal ? that we can improve, can learn, can better ourselves?
So why treat people like they are beyond understanding?
Are we afraid to forgive ?
Afraid to understand? to apologize?
When I was young, I was told by someone I love dearly that if I just learned to apologize, life would be much easier for me. I could just "say sorry," and move forward. It took years for me to be able to acknowledge the actual necessity : an honest acknowledgment of fallibility and a willingness to correct the harm. Repair – is also to "re-pair" – to reconnect with something that matters and is important to us.
"I'll cross that bridge when I get there" isn't quite the samurai way. I read once that we are to prepare a thousand times before we ... ? What is it to know, in your heart, the right thing? To understand the right way? To know, with clarity, that love wins, every single time, in the end ?
"The challenge of safety" – – - – – that someone might try to take it from us. How do we prepare ourselves to protect and defend? Do we take turns? Do we all prepare ?
What do we do with a bully who has more power than us ? What do we say? "Please don't... " ? "Go to hell? " ?
At a certain point I began to understand that anything I wished for another, if I wanted it to really be meaningful, I needed to be prepared to receive the same thing. That is, I couldn't wish for another person something I wouldn't want for myself. So I began to pray differently : instead of the more common simply cursing people... I began to ask , may they understand. May they be guided. May they be held. May God show them a better way. May there be peace in their hearts.
What would I wish for people to wish for me?
To condemn is literally to "damn", to wish death upon –
Do I condemn you? How could I ?
Whoever you are, I pray you are better today than you were yesterday, and better tomorrow than you were today. I pray that all the shadows and darkness may be cleared, that we may see and understand safely, that there is a better solution to every problem, better even than we can imagine. I hope for better air, better water, better food and drink, better money – better everything, because why not? Do you want more, or better ?
I want better. And I want to be so satisfied with what I have that there is no real pressure for more, or even for better – just to be continually striving to do the best with what I have, to make better for the people around me, and to contribute as best as I can to the world in such a way that I am proud of who I am and what I have done. What more could I ask from myself?
To give love, perhaps, to as many people as possible. Is this possible?
Of course it's possible. Is it possible also to love deeply, as deeply as possible? To give as good as we possibly can – in the best way – without stress, or pressure, or strain?
Surely we've noticed that when we try too hard, sometimes, things collapse, and fail, buckling under the pressure of too much expectation.
When we let it just happen, sometimes, things open up, with delightful new possibilities – who would have thought?